Alternate assessments are the means through which students with significant cognitive disabilities participate in accountability testing, thus measurement validity of alternate assessments is a critical aspect of state educational accountability systems. When evaluating the validity of assessment systems, it is important to take a broad view of…

New Jersey lawmakers recently changed state law to require schools to bear the burden of proving, if there is a dispute with parents, that the educational plans they create for students with disabilities are appropriate. The state's action, which follows a similar move by New York state in August, is considered a success by parents and advocacy…

The purpose of this research was to determine whether transient or mobile students attain lower levels of academic achievement than non-transient students and to identify the characteristics distinguishing transient from non-transient students. The study analyzed the assessment results, student characteristics, and school factors for approximately…

States and other educational entities receiving Part B funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) submitted their Annual Performance Reports (APRs) and Section 618 Table 6 data together to the U.S. Secretary of Education on or before February 1, 2009. These reports may have been modified during the following few months,…

A component of a school assessment plan includes traditional IQ testing, often referred to as psychological or psycho-educational testing. Psycho-educational testing can yield information about how a student compares to others in her grade or age group, individual strengths and needs, and recommendations to improve instruction. The intended…

Five years ago, the Cecil County Public Schools in Maryland embarked on an aggressive schedule to fully include all students with special needs in the regular education setting to be consistent with the most recent interpretation of "least restrictive environment." At the time, 59 percent of special education students were receiving…

On November 14, 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision in "Schaffer v. Weast." This special education decision concerned which party bears the burden of persuasion when parents challenge a school district's Individualized Education Program (IEP) in a due process hearing. In this article, we define burden of persuasion and…

In April 2007, Federal No Child Left Behind regulations were finalized that provided states with additional flexibility for assessing some students with disabilities. The regulations allowed states to offer another assessment option, alternate assessments based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS). States are not required to have…

For many students with disabilities to be successful learners in the general education curriculum, they must receive supplemental aids and services. Assistive Technology commonly referred to as AT, fits both the definition of supplemental aids as well as related services for students with disabilities. Assistive Technology services and devices…

Although increased attention in special education has been given to individual transition planning, little research has been done to assess student opinions and knowledge on this process. The majority of research has focused on "best practice" to ensure quality transition planning for students. This study surveyed 103 students receiving…

Providing children with special educational needs with individual education plans (IEPs) was advocated in the 1994 code of practice for SEN, and retained in the 2000 code. Specifically as it relates to mainstream secondary schools, this has proved highly controversial: many SENCos report that the writing and implementing of IEPs is a bureaucratic…

Since the mid-1970s, with the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act ("Sec. 504"), special education became highly legalized. Although it is universally agreed that the best way to avoid and resolve disputes is through informal communication and cooperation between…

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) present with a broad array of deficits and excesses that require educational intervention. The Individualized Education Program (IEP) serves as the blueprint for educational intervention but it can sometimes be difficult to identify which goals and objectives should be addressed with this population.…

The role of regular elementary class teachers in implementing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for mainstreamed special education students was examined in a three phase study (student records review, teacher survey, and followup interview). The approach, based on role theory, examined the statistical independence of ratings according to…

A follow-up survey of 275 special education teachers revealed a moderately negative attitude to individualized education programs (IEPs). As a whole, they did not perceive a clear relationship between the document and daily classroom proceedings, nor did they cite support from other professionals in developing and implementing IEPs. (CL)