Section 504 of the "Rehabilitation Act of 1973" protects the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive federal funds. The Section 504 regulation requires a school district to provide a "free appropriate public education" (FAPE) to each qualified person with a disability who is in the school…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) includes transportation within its definition of "related services." This means that students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) have the right to receive special transportation services if it is needed. Transportation and assistance may be provided to a child whose…

This document presents a seven-step process to be used in developing a standards-based Individualized Education Program (IEP). Each step is followed by guiding questions for the IEP team to consider in making data-based decisions. Two student examples are provided to illustrate application of the components of a standards-based IEP. The student…

No student should have to earn his or her way into the general education classroom, writes the author. The inclusive education model recognizes every student's right to be educated in the least restrictive environment, as provided under special education law. Yet many school districts still place students with special learning needs in separate…

This article discusses an evolving understanding of the relationship of assistive technology (AT) to student achievement. Clarifying the compensatory nature of AT and its role in creating a "floor of opportunity" for students with disabilities, the authors then emphasize the importance of AT for access to and productivity within both the life…

Although many studies have examined the alignment of state standards with large-scale assessment and instruction, fewer have attended to alignment concerning alternate assessments for students with significant disabilities. This study was designed to (1) compare expectations in one state's alternate assessment (AA) with curricular priorities…

Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act mandate that transition services be provided for students with disabilities who are 16 years and older. Although the current emphasis in the transition process tends to focus primarily on vocational opportunities, another important component of transition services is community…

Educators from four states participated in a pilot study to enhance and field-test an assessment guide for assisting teams in creating student-centered behavior plans. The assessment guide attempts to consciously match the multi-layered tenets of positive behavior support with the behavioral intervention and support process for maximum…

The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) funds schools located on 63 reservations in 23 states across the nation. Of the 183 schools, 59 are Bureau operated and 124 are tribally controlled. One-hundred and sixteen schools provide instructional programs, 55 provide instructional as well as boarding services and 12 peripheral dormitories provide only…

This brief is intended to provide State Education Agency (SEA) and Local Education Agency (LEA) educators with a brief overview of key components of GraduateFIRST, a Georgia program targeting issues impacting school completion for students with disabilities. Georgia's GraduateFIRST program has redefined the state's approach to raising graduation…

Student-directed IEPs are quickly gaining momentum in schools across the country--the proven benefits include higher academic achievement, enhanced student motivation, and increased communication and self-advocacy skills for students with disabilities. Now for the first time, there's a book that gives elementary and high school educators in-depth…

Four elementary students referred for special education evaluation were observed systematically for 2 entire days each at three different times within the referral-to-placement process. Data were recorded on 53 variables within six categories in 10 second intervals to examine changes in the nature of instruction and academic responding time as a…

The manual was intended to clarify the relationship among annual goals, short-term instructional objectives and performance objectives for special education students in Michigan. An overview of state and federal requirements is followed by analysis of the annual goals (general statements relating to a skill area without specific reference to…

The individualistic enterprise of education is questioned in this paper. The scientific movement in education in collaboration with private corporations and federal funding has fostered an individualistic enterprise that promotes a restricted role of the individual in society. Three well-known individualization projects are Individually Guided…

The study developed and tested a systematic format for discovering and displaying relationships among five major federal laws concerning the handicapped: P.L. 93-112 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973), P.L. 93-380 (Education Amendments of 1974), P.L. 94-63 (Special Health Revenue Sharing Act of 1974), P.L. 94-103 (Developmentally Disabled Assistance and…