A teacher of students with learning disabilities used journals to encourage students to write. She allowed them to choose their topics, and she created ongoing conversations with them through the journals. As students' interest in writing increased, their journals helped them resolve conflicts, express frustrations, and hone language arts skills.…

Reflects on the findings of a survey (reported in an earlier article in this issue) of 93 teachers who left their special education teaching positions. How the data was collected is discussed as well as the factors for leaving, including lack of administrative support, significant student discipline problems, high case load, excessive paperwork,…

This study examined out-of-home applications of 88 Israeli parents who had children with severe mental retardation. Five predictors had significant correlations with parental application: high parental stress, less social support, favorable attitudes toward normalization, low family environment score, and the child being of adolescent age.…

Respondents (n=321) to a survey of learning disabilities teachers in the Chicago (Illinois) Public School system reported that, while they found several assessment procedures to be useful, they relied primarily on standardized test results for informing educational decisions. Most teachers indicated they had high levels of competency with all…

Comparison of middle-school-age students with learning disabilities, grouped according to their self-reported ratings of scholastic competence, found significant differences between the low subgroup and the medium/high subgroups on internal locus of control for positive events, school attitudes, and global self-worth. Subgroups did not differ in…

Describes the Multiple Abilities Program at the University of Alabama, in which preservice teachers team with general and special elementary education classroom mentors to teach students with average and above average abilities and students with mild learning or behavior problems. The program involves preservice teachers in developing enrichment…

Over a 3-year period, interviews were conducted with parents, caregivers, teachers, and social workers of 29 young children with complex multiple disabilities in rural Alaska. Discrepancies were found between perceptions of parents and professionals about the nature of support and the focus of intervention policies and delivery systems. (RE)

Reviews books, videos, and software for multicultural education in elementary and secondary grades. The 37 works reviewed explore issues of race and gender equity, ethnicity, disabilities, hate crimes, effective instruction, and other aspects of education for cultural awareness. Some instructional kits are included. (SLD)

The 1996 Telecommunications Act will help breach the gap between information haves and have nots by stimulating competition. Half of US schools are wired for Internet. Only 10% have local area networks. Curricula have not kept up with technological advancements. If government plays a catalyst role, communities everywhere can create high-tech…

An educator of special education teachers reflects on his childhood, the current conservative political movement as it affects people who are poor or disabled, the current inclusionary reform movement in special education, and how to best serve youth with emotional or behavioral disorders. General education is seen as inherently inadequate to…

This article discusses a 2-year study involving 27 special educators of elementary and middle schools and 47 students with learning disabilities that explored the effects of using curriculum-based measurement and transenvironmental programming, each alone and in combination, for readying students to move from resource rooms to regular classrooms…

An analysis of four schools explored the degree to which positive outcomes of a 1990 state policy on educational reform had been sustained in the context of subsequent policies emphasizing standards-based reform. Results found an increased use of educational support systems, but also increased special education referrals and restrictive…

This paper reviews progress made since a Council for Exceptional Children Commission in 2000 identified three outcomes fundamental to ensuring learning results for every exceptional learner. It concludes that the special education field will continue to lose its workforce without the active engagement of state and local policymakers, educators,…

A survey of 1,267 doctoral students found their primary consideration in selecting a doctoral program was not having to relocate. Students were fairly satisfied with the training they received in research skills, less so in areas of college teaching, administration/supervision, and diversity. Less than half were interested in faculty positions.…

This article reviews the history of national policy for personnel preparation under Part D of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and offers some recommendations for federal policy that may increase special education faculty. It concludes that higher education must develop new ways of communicating its importance to policy makers.…