This article reports on starkly contrasting portraits of special education that the justices are sure to hear on the first day of the new U.S. Supreme Court term. In a case from New York City, the 1.1 million-student district argues that school officials made every attempt to provide an appropriate education plan under the federal Individuals with…

When the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was reauthorized in 2004, one of the significant amendments concerned Individual Education Program (IEP) team attendance. A member of an IEP team may be excused if "the member's area of the curriculum or related services is not being modified or discussed in the meeting." The…

Increasing numbers of young children with disabilities are receiving services in inclusive settings such as Head Start. It is important to note that positive outcomes for young children with disabilities are due in large part to practitioners' understanding and implementation of both recommended practices in both early care and education and early…

The study evaluated the IEPs/Individualized Transition Plans of 45 students who were in special education and foster care, and compared them to the plans of 45 students who were in special education only. Results indicate that the transition plans of foster youth with disabilities were poor in quality, both in absolute terms and in comparison to…

In response to findings of excessive exclusion of students with disabilities from national and state educational assessments, this document was developed to provide a listing of the states' guidelines for the participation or exclusion of students with disabilities in assessments. Guidelines in use were provided by 43 states. The remaining seven…

This guidebook is intended to assist parents of children with disabilities who will be returning to the state of Maryland because of Senate Bill 588, which strongly discourages out-of-state placements of individuals with disabilities or other special needs. The first section is on "getting ready" and provides a summary of Senate Bill…

This paper offers a structured framework for the transition of students with disabilities from middle or junior high school to high school. First, it outlines a transition decision tree to help decide whether a formal transition plan is needed. Next, the paper offers a 10-step set of practices appropriate for all students with disabilities in the…

This paper suggests a framework for analyzing needs of students with disabilities in dealing with transition services in their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). It outlines procedures to follow to ensure adequate service delivery. The framework and procedures are intended to result in IEPs that not only will survive legal challenges but…

This technical assistance paper aims to facilitate the team process for developing Individualized Education Programs (IEP) for students with disabilities. The guidelines provide suggestions for meeting legal requirements related to IEP development and offer recommendations designed to be responsive to parents, useful for educators and students,…

This booklet is intended to help parents and students better understand the nature of learning disabilities at the college level and to help faculty and staff involved with learning-disabled students in higher education programs. The personal story of a female college student with a learning disability appears on the left-hand side of each…

The first of five volumes on Project REACH (Regular Education for All Children with Handicaps) describes an approach for assessing and programing for the social skills needs of students with severe disabilities. Three major categories of social skills--social exchange, social rules, and body posture--are addressed. A section on assessment covers…

School psychologists can play a central role in ensuring that handicapped students are treated fairly in minimum competency testing (MCT). Advocacy concerns include protection in the evaluation process as well as access to graduation and/or a high school diploma. In addition to these rights guaranteed by P.L. 94-142 (the Education for All…

The brochure provides an overview of the components of vocational assessment used in many Cooperative Services Model (CSM) projects in New York State. Federal and state requirements for vocational assessment for students with handicapping conditions, the purpose of vocational assessment, and a suggested vocational assessment model are discussed.…

This paper describes the current British education system as background to a discussion of implementation of the 1981 Education Act in Powys County, Wales. Special education within this system has traditionally occurred off-site of mainstream campuses. Generally, the Act defines special education, imposes on Local Education Authorities (LEAs) the…

This document presents one module in a set of training resources for trainers to use with parents and/or professionals serving children with disabilties; focus is on transition planning. The modules stress content and activities that build skills and offer resources to promote parent-professional collaboration. Each training module takes about 2…