The position paper on the education of mentally retarded children in Florida public schools acknowledges recognized definitions of mental retardation and states that Florida's definition requires that an individual have both impaired intelligence and impaired adaptive behavior. Early planned screening by teachers and school officials is…

Presented are selected summaries of pending and completed litigation throughout the country concerning handicapped children and legal responsibility in the right to an education, the right to treatment, and student placement. Generally speaking, the plaintiffs are children representing a disability area who allege violation of their civil…

Coordinating a conference program can lead to the growth and involvement of all concerned. But, placement personnel find they can't do it alone. (Author)

A case study details the evaluation and placement of a preschool hearing impaired boy, and reviews the proceedings of a due process hearing initiated by his parents over the placement decision. (CL)

Presents results of a validity study of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) advanced placement physics C examination multiple-choice component. (SL)

The use of informal reading inventories can help insure that students are provided with reading materials that match their reading ability. (MB)

Responses to a questionnaire sent to 312 school district administrators in Pennsylvania suggest that learning disabled children in that state do not receive adequate educational services at the secondary level. (JG)

While the regular education initiative (also called regular education/special education initiative) has merit, the powerful complexities and dimensions inherent in the changes that are called for must be acknowledged. Excerpts from statements by teacher educators, Education Department officials, researchers, and national associations reflect the…

The article looks at the concept of discrepancy between ability and achievement in conceptualizations of learning disabilities. Comparison of ability and achievement scores found generally small average discrepancies, though some wide ranges were evident. Implications of the findings for current and future use of discrepancies as estimators of…

Foreign-language examinations do not adequately or reliably assess level of skill. Standards and criteria for determining a student's skill level should be improved to provide more guidance and make more appropriate placements in foreign-language classrooms. (CB)

Study compared two groups of preservice teacher candidates. One group enrolled in a mainstreaming course and the other did not. Tested candidate's attitudes toward special needs children and classroom management. (RB)

A two-year study assessing the stability of 1,184 elementary special education students found 71 percent stayed in special education with the same classification, 12 percent remained with a different classification, and 17 percent were no longer in special education. The original primary classification was the best predictor of reclassification…

The commentator finds that Slavin's synthesis is limited by its failure to distinguish between school and classroom organization and classroom instruction as well as the lack of consideration of intervening circumstances. (SLD)

Details some of the advantages provided by a testing service that evaluates student writing. (NKA)