The article describes the history of educational programs for deaf children, predicts that deaf education will become more closely aligned with general education, notes shifts in student placement from residential to public mainstreamed settings, and describes several Gallaudet University programs involved in research, training, and outreach to…

The use of standardized I.Q. tests for Blacks has been banned in California State schools. This court settlement culminated 15 years of legal action on a class action suit filed by Black parents for their children who had been disproportionately assigned to classes for the mentally retarded. (VM)

Considering cultural diversity, and specifically ethnicity, in field work education is a key dimension in promoting the success of minority graduate students in social work. Supporting the strengths of the minority culture provides a foundation upon which students can master new learning. (Author/MH)

Recent court decisions concerning the demographics of placement of students in various program tracks are reviewed in three articles. Focus is on special cases involving charges of overrepresentation of minorities in programs for the educably mentally retarded. Implications for school psychology and special education are discussed. (TJH)

The Social Observation for Mainstreamed Environments (SOME) checklist evaluates handicapped preschool children's social skills and readiness for mainstreamed environments. Checklist items represent social behaviors important to successful preschool integration, such as initiating interactions appropriately, obeying class rules, and respecting…

To improve children's chances of early success, Chesterfield County, Virginia, piloted a junior kindergarten program for children of legal school age who are not developmentally ready for kindergarten. Designed to prevent early failure syndrome, this three-year program emphasizes accurate student placement, high teacher-student ratios, and…

Observation of educational environments of 39 gifted students in primary and middle schools from a school district in England identified two methods of educational enrichment: circumstantial and specific. Teaching skills for the development of an individualized curriculum within the existing organizational structure are stressed. (Author/CB)

A multiple regression analysis was conducted using teacher rating items as criterion variables and age, sex, race, weight, height, physical dexterity, and intelligence quotient (IQ) as predictor variables. Moderate correlations were noted. Implications of the results are discussed regarding relative bias of psychometric instruments and teacher…

Reviews literature on the questionable value of remedial instruction during the 1960's and 1970's; the improvement of intake and placement procedures during the subsequent decade; student participation in voluntary remedial programs; and recommendations emerging from the most recent studies of remedial instruction. (DMM)

Reports findings from a national survey of 1,269 representative colleges and universities, concerning institutional perceptions of the basic skills preparation of entering freshmen, the extent of students' needs for basic skills help at various types of institutions, and the ways in which institutions are responding to student needs. (AYC)

A study of 19 trainable retarded students (6-18 years old) showed (1) level of appropriate responding increased with transfer to the community; (2) level of inappropriate behavior remained the same after transter; and (3) levels of appropriate and inappropriate responding of the transferred group were similar to those of a community group.…

The demands that music classes make on students may be very complex, even at the elementary level, and educators responsible for mainstreaming educable mentally retarded or learning disabled students should examine music programs carefully before deciding that they are appropriate mainstreaming environments. Music teachers should be involved in…

The influence of a student's background and setting upon school psychologists' diagnostic and program decisions was investigated. Results indicated that psychologists' decisions were not influenced by a student's background, school setting, or the psychologist's work setting. Findings suggested that school psychologists are not biased by these…

Compared beginning kindergarten subtest scores on Vane Test of Language and Vane Kindergarten Test to Metropolitan Achievement Test Scores in reading and math, Otis-Lennon School Ability Test Index, and placement into special education or high achievement programs following second grade. Results revealed effective predictability of the screening…

Examines the concept of self-assessment as it relates to the field of second languages and then reports on an ongoing research project in which a self-assessment questionnaire is being used as a placement instrument for students registering for language courses at the Center for Second Language Learning in Ottawa. (SED)