The author reviews results of eight research papers with conflicting data on effectiveness of special versus regular class placement for educable mentally retarded children, expresses need for more research, and emphasizes use of the individualized education plan to determine the most appropriate setting for a child. (MC)

Community college placement officers should reorganize their roles so that they can help the colleges to interface with the business/industry community and to restructure instructional programs so that the career development needs of students can be more effectively met. (Author/JDS)

Greatly increased emphasis on field experience/cooperative education programs is being proposed at a time when the assimilative capacity of work organizations to absorb the learners in those programs is under question. Research on assimilative capacity and availability of positions for learners at various stages, federal financial support for…

This paper is an exploratory description of remedial coursetaking over several semesters. In attempting to characterize the introductory course classrooms of urban community colleges, it proposes a distinction between fragmentary and full cohorts. Also proposed is a concept little examined in community colleges, the placement/course level match,…

Under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Vermont Department of Education's Special Education Regulations, parents have specific rights concerning their participation in the special education process. The purpose of this booklet is to inform parents of those rights and to provide them with a list of resources to…

The distribution of person fit indices is not easy to describe in tests where the item sample is too small to conform to a theoretical asymptotic statistical distribution, particularly the normal N(0,1). In practice, it is always the fact and, consequently, it is difficult to get the critical percentile value indicating person misfit. First, we…

The use of the Scholastic Assessment Tests (formerly the Scholastic Aptitude Test) (SAT) for assessment in the Georgia university system was studied. The study involved more than 243,000 students entering the University of Georgia over a 25-year period and used at least 883 different regression equations to correlate high school average (HSA), SAT…

There are a number of issues to consider in choosing tests, including alignment of tests and standards, the integration of tests with curriculum and instruction, the quality of the tests, and a clear definition of the purpose of the test. To address the various needs reflected by these issues, PLATO Learning, Inc., offers two curriculum-wide…

This study of English (United Kingdom) local education authority (LEA) data reports on the number of pupils (ages 5-15) with disabilities in special schools and ordinary schools for 1993, 1994, and 1996. Results indicate: (1) the overall percentage of pupils in special schools decreased from 1.49 percent in 1992 to 1.46 percent in 1993, to 1.45…

One of the most persistent challenges facing schools is how to respond to diversity as reflected in student race, gender, ethnicity, language, social class, and ability. This paper presents findings of a study that investigated how eight elementary schools undergoing restructuring responded academically to student diversity and how a school's…

This study examined the predictive validity of placement test scores with course grade and retention in English and mathematics classes. An increase in the use of testing to determine student eligibility for community college courses has prompted debate and litigation over the equity, access, and legal implications of these practices. In…

During the 1997-98 academic year, members of the Germanna Community College (Virginia) English faculty observed that students were having difficulty with reading comprehension in the content areas. Faculty conducted an informal survey of Virginia Community College System colleagues, and learned that the placement test cutoff scores used at…

This guide for administrators addresses the problem of the frequent over-identification of African American students as disabled resulting in over-representation of this population in special education programs. The guide focuses on preventive strategies--specifically, how administrators may use the prereferral intervention process, school…

This handbook for Missouri parents of young children with disabilities provides information on obtaining special education services from a local school district. A step-by-step guide for transitioning into preschool is provided. The steps include: (1) referral of the child to their local school; (2) holding a transition conference; (3) arranging…

Discussed talent search programs and their objectives, such as finding disadvantaged students who, with developmental assistance and financial support, could profit from additional education and training, and then counsel these students and help them find academic admission and occupational placement. (Author/RK)