The author discusses the three major areas in which a proprietary school must function properly in order to be successful: (1) Recruiting, with appropriate entrance tests before student admission; (2) educational program, with courses to train students in skills needed by business; and (3) job placement, the school's best form of advertising. (MF)

Essays written by 173 Yale freshmen were studied and related to the following data: (1) ratings of an essay on six different categories of writing; (2) responses of the student to a questionnaire about past writing and current courses; (3) grades in three basic freshmen English courses; and (4) pre-college test scores. Implications for educational…

The placement of learning disabled and behaviorally disordered children in the least restrictive setting requires consideration of both environmental conditions and psychological factors which contribute to the handicap. (DB)

Reviews research on student grouping, focusing on these types: tracking; grouping within classes (reading and mathematics); ability grouping for just one or two subjects; and classes for the gifted and handicapped. Asserts that ability-grouped class assignment is the most harmful form. (KH)

To argue about the effectiveness of integration is to miss the point; both regular school and special education support services in Australia need to recognize the many changes essential to minimize failure and encompass the reasonable developmental needs of all children. A flexible education system can accommodate almost all children. (Author/JW)

The article briefly examines public policy and practices concerning mainstreaming in the United States, Great Britain, and Australia. Ambiguity in definitions of integration are noted, and proposed definitions are offered which distinguish between full, predominant, partial, and minimal integration. (JW)

Overidentification of learning disabilities may be caused by applying a model of disability which does not allow for classroom accomodation. A minority model of disability with classroom modification and accommodation to differences in students who fail to meet behavior and achievement standards is proposed. (Author/DB)

The article describes the conflict between parents and state governments regarding the relative liability in financial responsibility for residential placement of handicapped, particularly developmentally disabled, children and comments on implications of the "Parks v. Pavkovic" decision in Illinois which held the state financially…

Discussing the use of tracking (grouping students with similar abilities), the author illustrates the positive side of this often criticized classroom practice. Appropriate tracking accommodates individual differences while motivating students. (MD)

Wisconsin educational services for visually-impaired students include the Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped, the Educational Services Center for the Visually Impaired, and the Instructional Resource Center. (CB)

Proposes that students' problems controlling the rhetorical features of school discourse (inventing a purpose within one's writing that will also serve the external purpose of impressing a grader) are as fundamental to the difficulties of basic writers in college writing as their syntactical and mechanical errors. (SR)

An investigation into classroom teachers' (N=51) reaction to test score reporting formats suggested that teachers more readily recommended children for special education classes when they evaluated percentile ranks than when they evaluated grade equivalents or standard scores. (Author/CB)

Examined implementation of California's mandate that the simple difference score distribution model be used as part of state Learning Disability eligibility criteria in six California school districts. Results revealed that placement decisions were influenced by students' discrepancy scores, but that prereferral status (initial evaluation versus…

Examined usefulness of the Gesell Preschool Test (GPT), a developmental readiness test used by teachers and school psychologists to determine a child's readiness to begin formal instruction. Results revealed that, after accounting for effects of math and reading achievement, GPT failed to contribute to the discrimination of 30 retained and 58…

Analysis of characteristics of classroom placements for special needs elementary school students (N=958) in five urban school districts indicated that approximately two-thirds received some instruction with regular education students. Time spent in regular education varied by the child's primary handicap, the school district, and sometimes…