The Roeper School is a pre-kindergarten through grade 12, co-educational day school for gifted children that was founded in 1941. Admission criteria include parent and student interviews, student observation, and individual testing by a psychologist. The current emphasis on accountability and outcome measurements may be more about what governments…

This study determined school-level curricular, assessment, and accountability policies and practices in private and public day treatment and residential schools for elementary-age children with emotional or behavioral disorders (E/BD). A national random sample of 271 (56.45%) principals and 229 (47.70%) teachers responded to a mail survey. No…

A collaborative team of a teacher-consultant, state education agency associate, and university faculty member facilitated a workshop and monthly inquiry group meetings to support teachers' implementation of student-led Individual Education Programs (IEPs). Through participant-observation and grounded theory analytic methods, we examined issues…

It is common practice for music educators to be responsible for teaching students with special learning needs who have been included in the general education classroom. But how do music teachers know if they are providing meaningful instructional experiences for these children? This article suggests methods to guide music educators toward…

This article describes a process to encourage student-led Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings and student ownership for their own education. Sections address preparing for the IEP meeting and research results on students' involvement. Insets summarize three levels of student involvement, relevant sections of the Individuals with…

The 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) called for an increase in student involvement in individualized education program (IEP) meetings. To determine the extent of student involvement in educational planning, this study observed 109 middle and high school IEP meetings; 90% of the participants completed a…

Successful and meaningful transition services are the result of careful planning. This planning is driven by a young person's dreams, desires, and abilities. It builds a youth's participation in school, home and community living. Transition planning helps to prepare young people for their futures. It helps them to develop skills they need to go on…

Before a child receives special education or related services, he or she must have an evaluation. The evaluation will help determine if a child needs special education. A parent or a member of the school staff may make the request for an evaluation. The child's parent must give consent in writing for the first evaluation. The evaluation will…

This article reports on starkly contrasting portraits of special education that the justices are sure to hear on the first day of the new U.S. Supreme Court term. In a case from New York City, the 1.1 million-student district argues that school officials made every attempt to provide an appropriate education plan under the federal Individuals with…

When the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was reauthorized in 2004, one of the significant amendments concerned Individual Education Program (IEP) team attendance. A member of an IEP team may be excused if "the member's area of the curriculum or related services is not being modified or discussed in the meeting." The…

Increasing numbers of young children with disabilities are receiving services in inclusive settings such as Head Start. It is important to note that positive outcomes for young children with disabilities are due in large part to practitioners' understanding and implementation of both recommended practices in both early care and education and early…

In response to findings of excessive exclusion of students with disabilities from national and state educational assessments, this document was developed to provide a listing of the states' guidelines for the participation or exclusion of students with disabilities in assessments. Guidelines in use were provided by 43 states. The remaining seven…

This guidebook is intended to assist parents of children with disabilities who will be returning to the state of Maryland because of Senate Bill 588, which strongly discourages out-of-state placements of individuals with disabilities or other special needs. The first section is on "getting ready" and provides a summary of Senate Bill…

This paper offers a structured framework for the transition of students with disabilities from middle or junior high school to high school. First, it outlines a transition decision tree to help decide whether a formal transition plan is needed. Next, the paper offers a 10-step set of practices appropriate for all students with disabilities in the…

This paper suggests a framework for analyzing needs of students with disabilities in dealing with transition services in their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). It outlines procedures to follow to ensure adequate service delivery. The framework and procedures are intended to result in IEPs that not only will survive legal challenges but…