This final report describes achievements and activities of a 3-year federally supported project by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to develop and deliver semester-long courses for professionals charged with providing transition services to students with disabilities. The project developed four courses and delivered them using…

This paper reviews a Florida program that offers fiscal incentives for collaboration among school districts within a region in providing services to students with serious emotional disturbances (SED). A statewide framework requires locally determined, needs-based priorities consistent with principles of multiagency planning, continuous improvement…

The Southern Institute on Children and Families is an independent, nonprofit public policy organization founded in 1990 to improve opportunities for children and families in the South with a focus on disadvantaged children. This annual report presents the accomplishments and activities of the organization for 1999. The introductory letter from the…

The Southern Institute on Children and Families is an independent, nonprofit public policy organization founded in 1990 to improve opportunities for children and families in the South with a focus on disadvantaged children. This annual report presents the accomplishments and activities of the organization for 2000. The report begins with…

This report presents information about the involvement of federally funded Head Start Programs for 3- and 4-year-olds and state-funded Early Childhood Assistance Programs (ECAP) for 4-year-olds in the Head Start/ECAP Outcomes Project in the state of Delaware. Information about child developmental skills and family goals was collected at the…

This brief for parents discusses the transition of students with disabilities from the structured environment of school to the post-school world and transition requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1997. It begins by explaining the importance of transition planning and decision-making and the need for…

This report to Congress examines issues in the transition of students with disabilities into postsecondary education or employment. Major findings are: (1) most IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) youth complete high school, but data on transitions are limited; (2) problems impeding the transition of IDEA youth into postsecondary…

The purpose of this document is to provide an orientation and overview for new state special education advisory panel members regarding their role and functions. This information is a compilation of material and best practices from state special education advisory panels throughout the United States. The manual is intended to assist members of…

This report discusses the results of an investigation into the coordination between the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Medicaid program. Interagency agreements and other documentation were obtained and analyzed from 12 state directors of special education, coordination mechanisms reported by key federal agencies were…

Medicaid is the principal source of public funding for therapeutic interventions for children birth to 21 years of age and can be used to support health-related services of special education programs. An overview discusses Medicaid provisions related to state medical assistance plans; Medicaid's status as an entitlement, which means that services…

This fact sheet summarizes promising secondary education practices that special educators can employ to help improve the post-school outcomes of students with exceptional learning needs. These practices are organized into the following five categories: student-focused planning, student development, interagency collaboration, family involvement,…

This fact sheet describes the role of the transition specialist, an individual who plans, coordinates, delivers, and evaluates transition educational services at the school or system level, in conjunction with other educators, families, students, and representatives of community organizations. It summarizes the competencies for transition…

In 1987, the Annie E. Casey Foundation invited 10 medium-sized U.S. cities to apply to be part of the "New Futures" project, a program designed for cities that showed willingness and capacity to experiment with comprehensive, collaborative, public-private approaches to the multiple problems of at-risk children. Eventually, five cities…

The goal of the Oregon Intellectual Freedom Clearinghouse is to uphold the principles of the Library Bill of Rights in all types of libraries by improving communication between librarians, board members, professional associations, and other concerned groups in Oregon about challenges to intellectual freedom, and by increasing awareness as to how…

This policy paper explains the educational rights available to certain students with disabilities and chronic conditions under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It describes the federal law and regulations, eligibility criteria, complaint procedures available to enforce the law, and ways that state Title V agencies can collaborate…