This fact sheet on Down Syndrome is offered in both English and Spanish. First it provides a definition and description of this syndrome, noting its etiology in a chromosomal abnormality. Incidence figures are then given. Typical characteristics of people with Down Syndrome are listed. Commonly associated health-related problems are noted,…

A consortium effort sponsored by the Northwest Regional Evaluation Association has arrived at a workable definition of a portfolio that takes into account the viewpoints of teachers and those interested in large-scale assessment. The modified definition states that: "A student portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that tells…

This report provides background information and summarizes a 1990 seminar on the parent/professional partnership in the implementation of Public Law 99-457. Topics considered in the seminar included eligibility under Part H of the law, early intervention prior to P.L. 99-457, the process of the legislation, future of the legislation, timing of…

This report summarizes existing data on persons with disabilities in narrative and tabular form. The first section considers definition and measurement of disability including such topics as activity limitation, functional limitation, special population groups and measures, chronic conditions, work disability, federal benefit programs, and state…

This paper for educators, school psychologists, and counselors attempts to provide guidance for meeting the needs of students with epilepsy. Stressed throughout the paper are ways to provide for the child's special needs while fostering his/her self esteem and full participation in classroom activities. The paper addresses the following topics:…

This handbook is intended to serve as a procedural guide for Utah school districts to improve the assessment and classification process for students who are behavior disordered. The handbook reviews Utah's definition of behavior disorders and explains some of the ambiguous terminology in the definition. The topic of social maladjustment is…

This monograph is organized in three main sections addressing problems, promising practices, and equitable procedures low cost in the identification of students with gifted potential. The first section considers problems in identification. These include: (1) elitist and distorted definitions of giftedness, (2) confusion about purposes of…

This digest provides some guidelines for developing partnerships between schools and outside service agencies and suggests some roles that teachers can play in the process. The successful provision of service depends not only on administrators, but also on people in direct contact with students, including classroom teachers. School administrators…

The purpose of Part 151 of the regulations of the New York Commissioner of Education is to carry out the legislative intent to provide financial assistance to school districts. This assistance is provided for the operation of experimental prekindergarten programs for children with educational needs associated with poverty. Section 2 of Part 151…

Designed for use in workshops, this teachers' guide provides advice about the use of portfolios to assess and document students' learning. It also poses questions that will help the teacher focus on critical components of portfolio development. The guide defines a portfolio as a collection of evidence used by the teacher and student to monitor, in…

This study investigated the possible relationship between level of service to students with behavioral disorders and: restrictiveness of State Department of Education positions on interpretation of the definition of serious emotional disturbance, of the social maladjustment exclusion in that definition, and a state's degree of republicanism. The…

Leadership may be defined as both a process and a property. Research shows that some attributes common to successful leaders (characteristics, knowledge, and skills) can be significantly influenced by planned education or training. In the process of developing a leadership assessment instrument, a study specified four broad tasks that leaders are…

Intended for use by librarians and library administrators, this document presents information derived from the 1981 Annual Report/System Membership Applications submitted by public libraries in Texas. Statistics are included on library populations served; library holdings; library circulation; library services; interlibrary loan transactions;…

Student school enrollment patterns within six school districts in Texas, California, and Florida were reviewed to determine whether students classified as children of migratory agricultural workers were missing school and having their education disrupted because of their lifestyle. Using the Migrant Student Record Transfer System (MSRTS) forms,…

The rural special education context is unique because of the distinct environment and the variety of rural school subcultures. However, little information about rural special education is available prior to the late 1970's, partially because federal agencies lacked a working definition of "rural." Although rural and urban special…