This book presents, in a question-and-answer format, a comprehensive guide to special education law, especially the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Following a table of questions and suggestions on using the book, individual chapters cover law on the following topics: (1) eligibility (e.g., under IDEA and other laws, specific…

The New York Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) studies of public schools continue with this report on course work for gifted students and public middle school students in general. Fourteen ACORN volunteers made 52 visits to 28 schools studied in 1996. Findings from these visits and the review of school system documents…

This report reviews the Exceptional Student Education Programs administered by the Florida Department of Education. Findings of the review indicate: (1) during the 1995-96 school year, Florida spent 1.75 billion for special programs, services, and facilities to serve 368,710 students with disabilities; (2) the number and percentage of children…

This volume presents 11 selected papers from the 14th annual conference of Teacher Educators for Children with Behavioral Disorders, held in Tempe, Arizona in November 1990. The keynote paper, by James M. Kauffman, is titled "Purposeful Ambiguity: Its Value in Defining Emotional or Behavioral Disorders." The next five papers address programming…

This guide is designed to provide essential background material about the College Board's Computerized Placement Tests (CPTs). It is recommended for administrators and staff alike. It contains the theory on which the tests are based, information concerning how to administer them, and discussions of the reports produced and how to interpret the…

The Massachusetts Basic Skills Testing Program, mandated by Chapter 188 of the Acts of 1985, seeks to identify students who have not mastered basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. Because the Massachusetts Department of Education does not mandate any post-test action, it has not been possible to prescribe any method of providing help…

The possibility of using portfolios as a placement tool for freshman English at the University of Nevada (Reno) was studied. Three university instructors who, among them, taught all 3 levels of freshman English, from remedial (English 001) to accelerated (English 102), read portfolios assembled for 58 students in 3 college-bound high school senior…

This report presents the results of the third national survey of state activities in the assessment of educational outcomes for students with disabilities. The report does not contain actual outcomes data on students with disabilities. Twenty-three tables present data on: number of students in general education and special education in each state;…

This booklet on the rights of New Jersey's special needs students and their parents begins with general suggestions on learning about the child's condition and working with school personnel. The booklet outlines conditions that are defined as handicapping and then discusses such rights as the right to a free and appropriate public education,…

Compiled to assist advisors at Vincennes University (VU), a two-year college in Indiana, as well as high school counselors and prospective students, this book provides information on placement at VU and entry-level skills needed for success in specific programs, majors, or courses. A brief introduction describes the objectives of the skills guide…

A resource is presented for those who work in bilingual education and who are involved in test selection. Initial information is provided regarding tests that might be used for student identification, placement and diagnosis, progress monitoring, exiting decisions, and program evaluation purposes. No endorsement or recommendation is implied and no…

An evaluation examined how the Career Skills Enhancement Program identified and met the workplace literacy and basic skill needs of employees of the Santa Clara County (California) Office of Education. Data were collected through surveys, interviews, program records, participant evaluations of workshops, evaluator observations, and skill level…

This study sought to examine American College Test (ACT) and basic skills placement test score patterns; the use of these test scores in academic advising; student performance in freshman level reading, English, and mathematics courses; relationships among these factors and their power to predict or account for placement and performance; and…

The rules and regulations governing Texas schools' treatment of the language and academic needs of limited-English-proficient (LEP) public school students are reviewed. First, a historical overview of the state's laws and regulations governing programs for the LEP population is presented. Second, the state's language and academic assessment…

This study was conducted to develop an anthropological understanding of the interactions between the special education system and such "Third World" peoples as Hispanics. An intensive 2-year ethnographic study followed the families of nine preschool Hispanic hearing-impaired children through the intake process at a special school for the deaf in…