This brief paper summarizes survey materials gathered by the Multi-Agency Collaborative Initiative on Inclusive School Reform. The agencies involved are the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, the Council for Exceptional Children, the National Education Association, and the American Federation of Teachers and other…

This paper provides an analysis of inclusion as it relates to national goals, national standards, and national tests for students with disabilities. Concerning the six national education goals specified in Goals 2000, the paper finds that the primary data collection programs used to document progress toward the goals exclude 40 to 50 percent of…

This digest examines research on preschool programs that include children with and without disabilities. Recent research suggests that children with disabilities are able to take advantage of experiences that promote typical development. One study found that children with disabilities enrolled in integrated programs demonstrated higher levels of…

The Utah Elementary Integration Dissemination (UEID) Project of the University of Utah disseminates proven instructional planning and delivery practices used in the education of young children with severe disabilities and provides technical support for inclusive programs and pratices for these students. Many rural school districts are forced to…

Current trends indicate that schools are moving toward more inclusive practices and are attempting to educate the majority of students with exceptional needs in the regular education classroom. Restructuring of schools to implement full inclusion will require that school leaders consider six factors that influence change. Creating an atmosphere…

A survey was conducted of the families and teachers of 1009 students with severe disabilities from five states, to identify factors associated with their integrated educational placement. The questionnaires were designed to measure 19 variables which integration literature suggests are predictive of integrated placement. Logistic regression…

Three elementary-age students with severe disabilities were moved from a special education class to an integrated (chronological age-appropriate regular education) classroom. The intervention resulted in substantial reductions in challenging behavior along with simultaneous increases in appropriate task-related and social behavior for all three…

A survey was conducted of 174 certified school personnel (including special education teachers, administrators, regular classroom teachers, vocational teachers, counselors, and aides) in the Mississippi Delta concerning their attitudes toward special education and toward students with disabilities. Overall, the educators expressed slightly…

When English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students were few and far between at college, they were absorbed into regular Freshman English courses designed for, and dominated by native speakers. However, it appears that ESL students are best served by placing them in classes specially designed for their needs, rather than mainstreaming them or placing…

This paper addresses the involvement of students with severe communication disorders in school curricula. First, current best practices regarding eligibility for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) services are addressed. This is followed by a discussion of whether students who use AAC systems should be educated in regular or special…

This digest examines the mandates and requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). (Its scope does not include the IDEA's Part H program.) The digest gives a brief history of the IDEA, procedures for obtaining a copy of the IDEA and its regulations, and procedures for obtaining a copy of an individual state's special…

This document presents the proceedings of a conference attended by Project Directors (or their designees) of projects funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and having a significant component of technical assistance (TA) and/or dissemination activities. The conference was designed to provide new information to projects, to…

This survey of 204 regular classroom teachers sought to determine to what extent 65 competencies (identified as essential for special education teachers of the severely handicapped) are necessary for teachers who have special education students mainstreamed into their classrooms. The mainstream teacher sample in this study and a special education…

This paper discusses cooperative learning as a teaching method that uses intrinsic rewards, or rewards that come from within a student, in the education of young children. The developmental perspective of cooperative learning, which suggests that peer interaction, without the use of extrinsic rewards, leads to intellectual and social growth, is…

The Accelerated Schools model attempts to restructure schools with high at-risk student populations and mainstream these students by the end of elementary school. A 6-year process of collaborative unity is used to identify challenge areas and move the school toward individualized solutions. The Accelerated Schools Satellite Center Project emerged…