This paper reports on a comparative study of mainstream and special school services for pupils with special educational needs in Scotland. The study examined trends in the placement of pupils with Records of Need, considered implications for special schools of serving a changing population, and investigated the capacity of mainstream schools to…

In response to findings in a 1994 accountability report, and specifically data related to student retention, colleges in the Illinois Community College System were asked to report on local initiatives to track and improve retention. In describing their retention initiatives, 30 colleges specifically mentioned assessment and placement activities,…

Grades in college freshman English composition courses were predicted from high school rank in class, multiple-choice writing scores, essays, current Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) Verbal scores, and scores from a revised version of the SAT-Verbal. Data were obtained from 21 English courses at 17 different colleges with some supplementary data…

In 1985, Maryland became one of 45 states that enacted new and tougher graduation requirements. This document presents findings of a 4-year study that examined the effects of the new requirements on local schools and the students and staff who work in them. Three site visits each were made to five selected high schools. Data collection included:…

This paper describes a process for restructuring service-delivery models for inclusion in New York State schools. The process is based on several assumptions, some of which include: (1) Home-zone school placement or choice/magnet school options are the preferred placement for special education students; (2) inclusion models must restructure…

This memorandum reviews the implementation of new, state-mandated placement criteria at Florida's Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC). The first section focuses on placement criteria for degree-seeking students, indicating that MDCC uses scores on the Florida College Entry-Level Placement Test for making placement decisions in reading, writing,…

In considering what to do with the normally existing diversity in a group of children coming to a school intended for all, the concepts of integration, segregation, inclusion, and exclusion must be considered as characteristics of school aims, organization, and work. Questions related to these concepts are particularly pertinent in a discussion of…

This research investigated course placement decisions for ethnic and gender groups. Success in four standard college freshman courses was predicted from scores on the American College Testing Program assessment (ACT) or high school subject area grade averages (SGA). The number of institutions varied from 13 to 50, depending on the course. Mean…

Babygram Hospital Outreach, under the administration of the Program for Pregnant and Parenting Services and in conjunction with the Health and Hospital Corporation, is a program to assist pregnant and parenting teens to return to an educational setting. With funding from the Federal School Dropout Demonstration Assistance program, Babygram began…

In September 1993 the Ontario Ministry of Education (Canada) changed the curriculum of grade 9 students, which resulted in the destreaming and decrediting of grade 9 students during their first year of high school. This report presents findings of a study that examined the impact of the changes on grade 9 students in the Toronto Board. The study…

One of the most undemocratic, destructive forces in education today is the tracking of students in high schools, as a great deal of research suggests. Schools that have successfully detracked instruction demonstrate similar characteristics. After careful preparatory efforts were made (including forming a study group), a high school in Long Island…

This paper addresses both the underrepresentation of minority students in gifted education programs and the lack of culturally diverse gifted education teachers in rural West Virginia. The 1988 National Education Longitudinal Study found disproportionate representation of minority group students in gifted education. In West Virginia, only 3 Black…

This paper offers criteria for states attempting to develop more effective special education funding formulas. It notes that balancing criteria to meet program objectives is difficult, with a major focus on one criterion often coming at the expense of other criteria. An effective formula should be: understandable, equitable, adequate, predictable,…

This guide accompanies a five-part video series on learning disabilities (total length of 40 minutes), designed to help in the identification of children who may have learning disabilities and in the development of appropriate actions on their behalf. The guide introduces three children, whose true stories are told in the videos to illustrate the…

This study describes the timelines established by states for the processes of referral, assessment, eligibility determination, Individualized Education Program development, and placement of students with disabilities in special education. The purposes of the study, based on survey data from 50 states and the District of Columbia, were to summarize…