Opinions of foreign language study, as well as attitudes toward specific cultures and languages, influence student motivation and success. The purpose of the present study is to catalogue and report the perceptions and attitudes of recent incoming college students (freshman and transfer students) concerning foreign or second language (L2) study…

Six secondary students with mild mental impairment took part in a multiple case study exploratory research project, involving full day observations, document reviews, and interviews to examine their classroom interactions. Data collection focused on the students' interactions with peers and adults in general education and special education…

The relationship between home and school is an integral feature of how pupils learn and parents have a central role to play in their child's education. Philosophical and practical discourse around inclusion has informed and directed inclusive policy in recent years. In Northern Ireland, it has latterly been conducted under the auspices of emerging…

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…

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…

A year-long study evaluated the scope and quality of pre-16 work experience in England and Wales. Its main aims were to map out work experience provision, assess program quality, and examine the impact of new funding. The research included a survey of area work experience coordinators, six detailed case studies, interviews with teachers from 30…

British parents of children with severe/multiple learning disabilities were surveyed to determine the parents' wishes, needs, and satisfaction with the child's school placement. Eighty parents responded (a 53 percent response rate) to a mailed questionnaire. At present, the majority of children described as having severe learning difficulties are…

California's College of the Canyons has used the four Mathematics Diagnostic Testing Project (MDTP) tests to assess students' abilities in basic and college math since spring 1989. These four reports dated June 1993, July 1993, May 1994, and June 1994 examine the predictive validity of the MDTP tests and the cut scores used to place students. The…

This journal theme issue focuses on mainstreaming of gifted children. "How Gifted Kids Can Survive in 'Inclusion' Classrooms" by Susan Winebrenner offers guidelines for compacting and differentiating the curriculum for gifted students within the regular classroom setting. It also addresses guiding independent study. "Challenging…

An ethnographic study investigated conversations during planning meetings and placement rating sessions for selecting and rating freshman composition placement exams. Planning meetings involved the administrative coordinator and two assistants selecting model essays, discussing the rubric, and confirming the final plans for the rating session.…

Research has often indicated that African American male students are placed in special education in disproportionate numbers. Many reasons have been advanced for this disparity in placement, including placement and testing procedures, cultural differences, parent and teaching training problems, economic factors, and the failure of schools to…

This report presents results of a fall 1993 survey of 164 adult education agencies in California concerning their placement procedures for English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students. The survey had two purposes. First, the information gathered by a questionnaire (appended) was to provide the California department of education with a profile of…

This paper is designed to familiarize parents of children with disabilities about why and how Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 affects the education of children with disabilities, to illustrate the differences between Section 504 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and to provide a basic explanation of how…

This publication lists information about the Advanced Placement Acceptance policies of institutions of higher education in Missouri. With colleges and universities listed alphabetically, the document serves as a guide to high school students who can determine the scores required on the Advanced Placement Examinations of the College Entrance…

This technical assistance document provides guidelines for child assessment and eligibility determination for early intervention and early childhood special education programs in Oregon. An overview of the assessment process explains screening, eligibility evaluation, and assessment for the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP). Legal requirements…