Guidelines are offered for making mainstreaming placement decisions for students with emotional or behavioral disorders. Characteristics of effective teachers of mainstreamed students are listed, and a classroom observation form and student/teacher match form are presented for use by the special education teacher in determining optimal mainstream…

Shows that students from some minority groups are much more likely to be designated for mental retardation programs than non-Hispanic white students. Blames biased testing, socioeconomic factors, and teachers' difficulties with cultural differences. (SR)

This comparison of a nationally representative sample of 269 adolescents with severe emotional disturbances and 49 nonhandicapped students focuses on subjects' personal characteristics (family structure, medication status), educational characteristics (placements, extent of mainstreaming, related services, years in special education), and…

Project STRIDE (Services for Transition to Independence through Education) included development of individualized transition plans for adults with learning disabilities; a year of full-time training; and a second year of training with transition to job placement and follow up. Interviews with 19 completers and 10 teachers found that most students…

Academically talented high school students (n=239) evaluated a three-week individualized, flexibly paced precalculus summer course as more challenging than their ensuing school placement course. Results support the use of such courses, followed by appropriate placement, as a means of meeting the special academic needs of talented students. (DB)

This paper examines objective and subjective fairness of due process hearings in special education disputes and reports findings from a study of parents' and school officials' subjective experience of the fairness of their hearings. Results showed that neither school officials nor parents felt positively about the experience. (Author/JDD)

Comparison of university students' scores on the University of Illinois' English Placement Test revealed that English-as-a-Second-Language students scored much higher on the dictation section and English-as-a-Foreign-Language students scored much higher on the structure (grammar) section, suggesting a need for cautious interpretation of such…

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is recommended as an efficient, objective, flexible, and reliable way to compose ability-based instructional groups in both regular and special education settings. Steps for using CBM and specific applications for grouping in reading and mathematics instruction are offered. (DB)

The University of Hawaii Department of Special Education conducted the Preschool Preparation and Transition Project, a federally funded demonstration program, to support families and their children with special needs in the transition from infant programs to least restrictive preschool placements. The program addressed this goal through three…

Describes an African-American parent's efforts to ensure that her daughter be treated fairly in a second grade classroom. Because some teachers mistakenly believe that African-American children are not capable of performing well in the classroom, these teachers may inadvertently convey lower expectations and damage African-American students'…

The mother of a gifted daughter advises parents that they can provide a rewarding educational experience for their children by searching for professionals who offer guidance and support, locating a responsive school, choosing activities that showcase the child's talent, not accepting stereotyping of the child, locating special programs, and…

This article describes mainstreaming efforts at an East Sussex (England) school serving students with physical disabilities but no major learning impairments. Mainstreaming students into their local schools involved parental support, preparation of mainstream schools, multidisciplinary support networks, and a carefully implemented transfer…

Results of the Modern Language Association's 1987-89 survey of characteristics of college and university curricula are presented. Survey questions dealt with characteristics of introductory language courses, the availability and range of immersion experiences, and the types of courses offered. (four references) (VWL)

Rural students (n=654) with disabilities from preschool through secondary school were analyzed to determine the incidence of and factors involved in categorical or programing changes. Rates of change varied significantly among classifications; and the student's initial classification, grade level, and comorbidity were predictive of change in…

A study undertaken in preparation for reforming the Belgian educational system investigated aspects of educational policy and administration in England, France, and Germany, including curriculum design and content, broad educational aims, student placement and tracking, competition among schools, academic standards, and institutional autonomy vs.…