This article describes a Maryland staff development program that guides educators through an improved Individualized Education Program (IEP) process that provides a better alignment of IEP goals with general education curricular outcomes. The program's components and the teachers' response to the program during the 1999-2000 year are discussed.…

A long-standing challenge for special education personnel is how to appropriately involve Spanish-dominant migrant parents in the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process, especially in rural agriculturally based school districts. Twelve recommendations for the IEP process are presented related to parent rights, parent orientation to school…

Analyzes teachers' attitudes regarding the value and practicality of adapting their teaching to the needs of heterogeneous classes. Surveys teachers and administrators in five German comprehensive schools. Finds that teachers do not support the view that within-class grouping may be a viable alternative to systems of across-class setting by…

Discusses issues influencing the placement of young children with disabilities, including individual educational plans, labeling, philosophy-based decisions, the Regular Education Initiative, and full inclusion. Maintains that decisions regarding educational programs with disabilities must be based on individual educational needs, and notes that…

Strategies are presented for systematic planning and teacher collaboration for inclusion of students with disabilities in rural general education classrooms. This planning and ongoing support is essential for the student to be a full member of the class rather than just physically present. A case study illustrates the positive effects of such a…

A case study of a nine-year-old boy with visual impairments and mental retardation illustrates the importance of family-school-community partnerships when planning for students with visual impairments. A chart identifies areas for Individualized Education Program team consideration and decision-making to support the child's inclusion in the…

This article explores how to identify students with traumatic brain injury (TBI), difficulties students with TBI may face in the classroom, where the best placements might be, and what teaching strategies are effective. A classroom observation checklist for students with TBI is provided, along with advice on developing instructional plans.…

As special education teachers have increasing numbers of students requiring health care procedures in their classrooms, school nurses need to help these teachers maintain a safe, healthy environment for their students. Part of this consists of having teachers know the steps to take should certain problems arise. This article examines the…

School-based occupational therapy is the largest employer of occupational therapists. School-based occupational therapists work extensively with students with severe disabilities. Over the past decade, one significant change in the field of severe disabilities has been the advocacy of best practices. This paper discusses the implications of best…

This paper provides readers with an overview of the unique issues present in secondary classrooms and their impact on the practice of collaborative teaching between general and special educators. The authors focus on the changes that are occurring in secondary classrooms related to varied structures (such as block scheduling), higher standards,…

Adolescence is a time for dreaming for youth to imagine and set a course for the future. High school students naturally spend time imagining the future if and where to continue their education, to find a job or pursue a career, to move away from home, or to start a family. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) includes a process…

"The Hawai'i State Officials Primer" provides information about special education in charter schools to Hawai'i state officials. It provides state officials an overview of charter schools, how they are defined, and the charter schools' responsibilities as they relate to special education. Understanding what charter schools are, their…

Individual educational plans (IEPs) are considered to be more effective when designed and implemented by a multidisciplinary team. This paper deals with the IEP as a collaborative tool for the education of pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). Ten pupils with PMLD and the people working around them (e.g. teacher, speech…

In conjunction with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA; PL 105-17), the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 (NCLB; PL 107-110) calls for enhancements to existing assessment and accountability systems within specific timelines. The NCLB Act also stresses the importance of using reliable and valid data for decision making.…

This study identified student and school-level factors associated with student achievement on the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT), an examination that includes a student questionnaire examining home literacy practices. Linked student and school contextual data enabled the use of hierarchical linear modeling to complete the analyses…