The last of five handbooks developed by Project HAPI (Handicapped Achievement Program Improvement), a multimedia staff development program to help teachers and specialists write effective individualized education programs (IEPs), is in looseleaf workbook format and focuses on trainable mentally retarded/developmentally handicapped children. It is…

An examination of school finance reform and special education finance issues is presented in this paper. It describes a general model of the educational finance system, in which state and federal general and categorical aid combines with district fiscal capacity to determine educational expenditures, which in turn affect educational programs and,…

The authors describe a data based physical education curriculum designed for low incidence severely handicapped students by Oregon State University in conjunction with Teaching Research. Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction to the physical education curriculum and the Teaching Research model with emphasis placed on the importance of…

The authors consider the special education research studies conducted for the Special Education Department of the Dallas Independent School District. The Dallas evaluation model utilized a modification of the CIPP model which delineated four kinds of evaluation information: context (which describes the state of the world before intervention),…

Five papers from a 1979 conference designed to bring practitioners' results of current research and development in special education are presented. The first paper describes the importance of the prepared environment for mainstreaming handicapped children and reviews four areas of consideration: orientation, adaptation, boundaries, and design of…

Intended for parents of handicapped children, the booklet provides information on the basic rights the child is entitled to, how the special education system works in Iowa, how the parent can become involved in education, and how to assure that the child's rights are protected. Chapter 1 addresses the right to an education with sections on what…

The training manual is intended to meet the training needs of Head Start personnel and others working with preschool handicapped children who have not had formal training in special education. The book attempts to provide the basic concepts and practices of providing individualized instruction to preschool handicapped children as mandated by P.L.…

Five author contributed papers focus on helping teachers work more effectively with culturally diverse handicapped or gifted children and their parents. The first chapter, "Understanding Where the Students Are Coming From" by J. Nazzaro and M. Portuondo considers the need to develop a multicultural perception, barriers to parent…

Computer Assisted Instruciton (CAI) helps schools meet the challenge of student dropouts. CAI provides individualized instruction, a positive learning experience, and immediate feedback. Black students at Chicago's Williams Elementary School have gained in reading and math. CAI projects in Louisville, Kentucky, and Baltimore have improved academic…

Lists technology available in the categories of sensory enhancers, keyboard adaptations and emulators, environmental controls and manipulators, instructional uses of technology, and motivational devices. Shows how to apply technological considerations to the traditional assessment concerns of health, vision, hearing, social and emotional status,…

Allowing children to participate in special education decision-making only at the discretion of their parents and the school system deprives them of any meaningful involvement and expression of their own concerns. Outlines models for involving children in such decision-making and giving them more meaningful roles in planning their educational…

Administrators from 98 residential schools for mentally retarded students, surveyed about parent participation, reported that 43 percent of parents participated in education programing. A sizable core of administrators believed that parents should not be involved in admissions (22 percent), medical decisions (19 percent), program monitoring (24…

This meta-analysis investigated the effects of formative evaluation procedures on student achievement. Twenty-one controlled studies generated 96 relevant effect sizes (average weighted effect size .70). Magnitude of effect of formative evaluation was associated with publication type, data-evaluation method, data display, and use of behavior…

Two educators describe the changes in a severely retarded, multiply disabled 12-year-old resulting from a functional curriculum approach. Assessment of his life needs and skills produced a new curriculum with emphasis on age appropriate interests. (CL)

Problems associated with the school psychologists traditional assessment functions and methodology are identified and contrasted with the need for assessment information that can contribute meaningfully to the formulation and evaluation of educational interventions. (Author/LMO)