This handbook provides an overview of the development of young children with visual impairments and their educational needs. The first three chapters outline the developmental path followed by sighted children and contrast this with the lives of children who are visually impaired, introduce the professionals who commonly work with children who are…

This teacher's manual, one in a series of nine staff development guides prepared by the Philadelphia School District, clarifies roles and responsibilities of various staff members and parents in providing programs to meet the career and vocational education needs of mildly to moderately handicapped students. Designed to be relevant to the specific…

Designed to assist Spanish-speaking parents and teachers in understanding special education procedures, this book describes the process for obtaining school services for children with disabilities. An introduction reviews six major provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that relate to children's rights to a free,…

This publication provides descriptive information about the 100 largest school districts in the United States. Almost one in every four public school students in this nation is served by one of these large districts. They are distinguished from the average district by characteristics, in addition to sheer size, such as pupil-teacher ratios, high…

The passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) in 1990 and the subsequent reauthorization in 1997 mandate school districts to provide transition services for students with disabilities in order to improve post-school outcomes for these youth. To help meet the requirements for transition, many school districts have developed…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 has placed a renewed emphasis on the importance of the regular classroom, the regular classroom teacher and the general curriculum as the primary focus of special education. This book contains over 100 topics that deal with real issues and concerns regarding the regular classroom and…

"MCPS Special Education at a Glance" is a direct result of the work of the Special Education Continuous Improvement Team (SECIT), an advisory group to the Montgomery County Public Schools Board of Education Special Education Ad Hoc Subcommittee. During the 2004-2005 school year, the SECIT developed, in collaboration with special…

This guide was developed for workplace instructors involved in the Workplace Training Project. The Workplace Training Project was conducted by Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon, in partnership with four area businesses to develop learner-centered competency-based workplace curricula covering the following topics: basic math, fractions and…

A project completed and field tested the concept of vocational instructors and special educators jointly planning curriculum objectives for the handicapped/special needs learner. The diagnostic-prescriptive individualized education (IEP) model developed at Bloomsburg University (Pennsylvania) or IEP Planner was used. Eight occupational areas were…

A project was conducted by Missouri LINC to create a computerized data bank of entry and exit-level competencies that could be applied to special education students in vocational education. The competencies that were developed through that project are contained in this guide. They are expected to be useful for vocational and special education…

Data from site visits, interviews and a survey of twelve high schools and one tech center in the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD) were analyzed in order to evaluate the processes that are used for course and career planning. It was found that most students and parents have some knowledge of a general course planning form (called an…

Special education instruction in the Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS) for students with learning difficulties is shamefully ineffective. These students, usually classified as having a "Specific Learning Disability" or "Speech and language impairment," comprise more than half of all children receiving special…

Students with disabilities across the nation, including Baltimore City, are failing to achieve their academic potential. Inadequate instruction and other inappropriate or unlawful practices cause and conceal the dysfunction of special education. At long last, the illusion and broken promises of special education have been publicly exposed. Under…

This book is intended to guide teachers as they include students with special needs. The 13 chapters are: (1) "The Foundation for Educating Students with Special Needs" (e.g., issues related to inclusion); (2) "Special Education Procedures and Services" (e.g., how students obtain special services); (3) "Professional…

The purpose of this document is to provide operators with implementation and operational technical assistance related to special education in charter schools. Special education is a very complicated component of public education and providing operators with technical assistance regarding special education is particularly challenging. This primer…