Data on 8,800 tenth grade students were analyzed to evaluate effectiveness of exceptional education programs on dropout prevention. Compared to the general education program, the holding power of the specific learning disabilities program was lower, the gifted program was higher, and the emotionally handicapped and educable mentally handicapped…

The mental health needs of children and youth with learning disabilities and their families were studied in a survey of 79 human services directors in the Toronto (Canada) area. The study illustrates the importance of involving relevant communities in planning for community needs assessment and program implementation. (SLD)

Examined whether there are differences between low-achieving students referred and those not referred for special education. Found that differences reflected factors external to the child: the propensity of his or her teacher to refer, family mobility, and tardiness. (Author/LPP)

This study evaluated an in-class service model for third graders at risk of school failure in 13 schools. The model included collaborative consultation, cooperative teaching, parent involvement, and strategic and adapted instruction. Significant effects were found on writing scores for students at risk (but not students with learning disabilities)…

This case study compared behavior of 6 Level 3 students with severe learning difficulties in a school for pupils with severe learning difficulties with that of six similar students in a mainstream primary school. Observations and teacher interview findings indicated site differences in students' social maturity, student-teacher relationships, and…

Spelling competence in English L2 is not the result of specific teaching and training. Two questions are discussed in this article: How do Dutch learners manage to gain control of this complicated system? And what spelling knowledge is acquired? Because beginning learners lack the necessary prerequisites for a phonological strategy, it is claimed…

This article explores the identity changes that college students with learning disability (LD) and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) report after participating in a short-term study abroad program. The reflections of thirteen short-term study abroad participants, all of whom have been diagnosed with LD and/or AD/HD are presented.…

The purpose of this study was to improve the comprehension and problem-solving skills of students with disabilities in social studies using a conceptually framed, computer-adapted history text. Participants were 11th and 12th grade students identified with learning disabilities in reading and writing from two intact, self-contained social studies…

Theatre is a powerful tool for organizing one's experience. It is an instructional technique that motivates students as they seek to understand and communicate their learning. This article provides a foundation for using theatre as a learning strategy in the content areas for students with reading and learning disabilities, using metacognition as…

This study investigated the effects of a strategic self-monitoring intervention (i.e., ACT-REACT) on the academic engagement, nontargeted problem behavior, productivity, and accuracy of students with and without disabilities. Seven boys and two girls of elementary age who received their educational services in two different inclusive classrooms…

Helping children with disabilities has become a part of American education with varying degrees of acceptance and tolerance over the years, and efforts to provide special education have become controversial. Much of the concern is about paying for "extra" services, but the debate is not just about money. Many professionals question the…

This study investigated the extent to which the overrepresentation of African American students in more restrictive special education settings is attributable to their overrepresentation in disability categories more likely to be served in more restrictive educational environments. Within 5 disability categories (emotional disturbance, mild mental…

This report offers a number of specific teaching techniques that research suggests will help 4th- to 12th-grade students in this nation's schools. The report focuses on all students, not just those who display writing difficulties, although this latter group is deservedly the focus of much attention. The premise of this report is that all students…

The Minnesota YouthBuild Program enables at-risk youth to gain useful job skills while working towards their high school diploma or GED. The program also provides affordable housing to battered women and children and very low income persons. The 226 youth participating in the program in 1994 were aged 16 to 24 and categorized as at-risk persons.…

A curricular and instructional framework for increasing the vocabulary skills of diverse learners is described. Areas of convergence in research literature on vocabulary learning and diverse learners are noted, and two recommendations based on these areas of convergence are offered: interventions to address the vocabulary delays of diverse…