Reviews the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act relating to short-term and long-term suspension. New protections for students with disabilities and the new tools for administrators to be used in addressing behaviors are discussed, including placement of students with disabilities in interim alternative-educational…

A cost-benefit analysis tool was developed with data from 58 health occupations programs in two-year colleges. Clinical experience was primarily conducted in hospitals. Few programs have been required to perform cost analysis. Programs depend on the willingness of health care facilities to provide clinical training. (SK)

Federal statutes, regulations, and major least-restrictive-environment cases provide numerous consistent principles that schools must adhere to in promoting inclusive educational practices. There are four major themes: consideration of an individual student's unique needs, presumptive right to an integrated education, educational appropriateness,…

Written comments by 140 parents of students with severe disabilities were analyzed to identify reasons why they are supportive of, or resistive to, inclusive education programming. Supportive reasons included beliefs that the child would learn more. Parents who opposed inclusion indicated the severity of their children's disability precluded any…

Recent court decisions indicate a movement towards supporting more integrated educational settings for students with disabilities. Recent legal decisions are discussed with regard to least restrictive environment, benefits of self-contained or regular education placement, supplemental aids and services, curriculum modifications, continuum of…

Describes a two-year study to determine the relationship between initial evaluations of student placement essays and progress in a developmental writing course sequence at a midsize university. Finds a positive relationship and presents the methodology as a model for assessment, citing its adaptability, minimal costs, and improved program…

The reformed Danish vocational training system focuses on alternating training and work placements. Work experiences in other countries are a focus, enabling trainees to attain critical intercultural competencies. (SK)

Human resource management students in Wales undertake a 1-year work placement in which they develop a portfolio submitted for the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development certificate. The process enhances their degree with an additional qualification and provides a framework for structuring the work placement year. (SK)

Analysis of placement and exit data on students with mental retardation (MR) found in annual reports on implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act indicated an upward trend in educating students with mental retardation in general education classrooms, a decline in graduation rates with a diploma or certificate, and a greater…

British teacher ratings of self-esteem were measured for three groups of children: 23 children with dyslexia attending mainstream schools, 34 children with dyslexia attending units for pupils with specific learning difficulties (SpLd), and 26 typical children. Findings indicate the children attending the SpLd units generally had the lowest…

A study examined five teachers' perspectives in a ninth grade class that included students with disabilities in regular classes. Teachers who supported inclusion of a student with Down syndrome differed in their expectations of him and the other students with and without disabilities. Variable standards for classroom attendance were a primary…

A study of 27 graduates of a therapeutic preschool day treatment program found 14 graduates were in regular classrooms, 10 in special education, 2 in residential treatment, and 1 was home schooled. Twenty-two improved or remained in the same grade and classroom type as they had been placed at graduation. (Author/CR)

Telephone interviews with 74 Ohio special education directors examined implementation of the Interim Alternative Educational Setting (IAES) requirements in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA 97). Most directors reported that no students had been removed to an IAES since IDEA 97 implementation. Home…

Until recently, pupils in The Netherlands with a developmental perspective of up to 24 months and with additional disabilities rarely made use of the educational facilities available. As a result of a new law passed in 2002, an increasing number of pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) will attend school. Given the…

This article presents an adaptation of an article from School Board News, January 6, 2004 edition. The article describes the effort of de-tracking students of varying ability levels, made by officials of South Side High School, in Rockville Centre, New York, and Noble High School, in North Berwick, Maine. Officials from both schools say that the…