This study examines the effects of in-service education on caring for preschool children with disabilities. Caregiving behaviors and self-perceptions of caregivers who did or did not receive training were evaluated. A 2-year, pretest/posttest, experimental-control group design was used to compare the effects of live and videotaped training…

This article discusses the impact of instructional television, directed study courses, and other alternative teacher certification methods. Colleges and universities are becoming aware of nontraditional programs that require minimal, if any, time on campus or direct contact with instructors. Soon, there will be a proliferation of Internet courses.…

This paper examines the negotiations that occur in a specific educational setting when traditional student placement practices are challenged and redesigned in an effort to better meet the needs of English language learners. The settings for these negotiations is an elementary school where over 90 percent of the students are native English…

Noting that the provision of early childhood education (ECE) services to linguistically and culturally diverse groups of children representing a wide range of abilities and income levels requires the scrutiny of current systems and practices, this book proposes a new paradigm of early childhood education, the Early Childhood Inclusion (ECI) Model,…

This collection of papers presents a variety of field-tested examples that use problem-based learning (PBL) for teacher education in many professional development settings. It describes PBL activities for preservice, novice, and experienced educators at all levels. The eight chapters describe teacher educators' experiences using PBL in their…

This book offers advice on arranging classrooms, diagnosing student behavior, and responding to students' emotional needs, examining intellectual, emotional, and physical challenges students face and providing strategies which help teachers create communities of learners, design classrooms, diagnose student behavior, and respond to student needs.…

This monograph reports on a qualitative evaluation of the Together We're Better (TWB) program, an effort in Minnesota to develop an inclusive, positive, supportive educational system. The TWB project focused on: (1) general education/special education collaboration within the state department of education; (2) district partnerships; (3) personnel…

Provides an overview of cooperative teaching, in which a general educator and a special services provider teach together simultaneously in a general education classroom composed of academically heterogeneous students. It identifies problems sometimes experienced and offers practical suggestions for enhancing this method's effectiveness. (Author/DB)

Two articles deal with educational advocacy for students with disabilities. The first article discusses aspects of the new Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1997). The second article discusses the U.S. Supreme Court decision (1997) to allow Title I services in religious schools, asking whether this decision opens the door to vouchers.…

Varying levels of inservice training and support in use of classwide peer tutoring (CWPT) were provided for 44 elementary teachers whose classes included students with learning disabilities. Analysis of teachers' survey responses, teachers' classroom observations, and interviews of six implementors indicated that level of support did not…

Discusses the relationship between motor skill and speech-language development and delays, the roles of physical education specialists and speech-language pathologists in teaching children in inclusive settings, the collaborative consultation that must occur between the two professionals, and a model training program that emphasizes such…

Examines the effects of school organization and climate on mainstreaming in an urban middle school. Discusses how certain behaviors, beliefs, and mechanisms result in the exclusion of some special education students from regular classes, programs, and facilities. (FMW)

Researchers and practitioners have generally concentrated on the following areas of social competence: (1) social assertion; (2) interviewing skills; and (3) conversational ability. Reviews issues of methodology. Studies are reviewed and recommendations for future research are made. (Author/BJV)

Contains 27 specific suggestions for teachers with special needs children mainstreamed in their classroom, particularly children with visual and auditory perceptual difficulties and poor motor skills. Notes that teachers need to make sure that directions, visual and verbal cues, learning materials, and computers are appropriate for children with…

Suggests how insights from Paul Bohannon's book, "How Culture Works" (1995), could be used to address such questions as, "How do deaf people learn their culture?" and "How do deaf children learn (what) culture?" Bohannon's idea of cultural dynamics is applied to deaf culture to trace how that culture evolved, how it…