Explores the complexity of developing and identifying national curriculum content standards. This article introduces other articles on developing standards for studies in mathematics, social studies, English, the sciences, and advanced placement studies. The challenges for national standards are examined with awareness of the importance of these…

Discusses questions of school climate and parental involvement that must be considered if general education is to assume the responsibility of educating African-American students with special needs. Practical suggestions are given for professionals deciding the proper place to educate African Americans with special needs. (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)

The present study examines pragmatic production of monolingual (L1 Castilian) and bilingual (L1 Catalan, L2 Castilian) learners of English in a foreign language learning context, that of the Valencian Community in Spain. We particularly focused on proficiency-level effects and on the role of the task type in the use of request acts peripheral…

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 is the 30th Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2008. Section 664(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as reauthorized in 2004, requires that the Department of Education report annually on the progress made toward the provision of a free appropriate…

This issue highlights six distinct studies. The first study examines the inclusion of literacy props and teacher mediation on the literacy behaviors of young children. The second explores the relationship of amount of talk, diversity of talk, and complexity of talk on the language acquisition of young preschool children who are learning a second…

A guide to identifying, placing, and instructing children with severe disabilities, including deaf-blindness, is presented. Identification and placement information focuses on locating and referring children in need of special education services, the role of committees and staff members, the individualized education program, entrance and placement…

A framework is presented to help teachers become aware of classroom modifications possible in the regular classroom and to determine whether to refer IndoChinese students to special education when their needs cannot be met through modifications. Services that can be provided both before and after the child becomes a participant in a regular…

This paper describes an interim evaluation of the Block Schedule Restructuring Program at Governor Thomas Johnson High School in Frederick, Maryland. The program began in the 1992-93 school year, when the school changed from seven 48-minute class periods per day to a block schedule format of four 90-minute class periods. Classes are conducted on a…

This project studied the effects of implementing a computerized management information system developed for special education administrators. The Intelligent Administration Support Program (IASP), an expert system and database program, assisted in information acquisition and analysis pertaining to the district's quality of decisions and procedures…

To facilitate the discussion of national education standards, this workbook extracts examples of education standards from eight documents that describe what students should be taught, or what they should know or be able to do in various subjects. These examples illustrate and document some existing standards, and should help policy makers sharpen…

This English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) curriculum was developed in 1994 at Garden City Community College in Kansas. The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of the Adult Learning Center students. Materials were developed for each level of college and adult education. The materials focus on six levels of ESL and include expected learner…

Teachers conducting a thematically organized literature-based reading program centered around student-led discussion groups wanted to explore ways in which the values they wanted to promote could be reflected in the ways they assessed their students. This study considers how valuing a broader scope of language and literacy abilities and making…

This report presents results from an April 1995 self-study of academic programs and support services in the vocational-technical and professional studies division at New Mexico State University's two-year branch campus at Carlsbad. College activities and outcomes are described for the following 12 programs and centers: pre-business, the Career…