The concept of children's rights evolved during the 1980s giving prominence to the role of children as active participants in the construction of their lives. The rhetoric of children's rights has emerged as an important consideration in all policy and practice relating to children. Implementation of children's rights in practice is necessary to…

This report has been provided to the Legislature on an annual basis since 2000 when the legislature amended the language of G.L. c. 71B to align Massachusetts special education terminology with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This year reports the context of a major change in the way state systems of special…

When the author learned that her daughter, Selah, had autism, she and her husband were shaken to the core and were terrified of what lay ahead of them. Selah's autism has redefined many things for them. In this article, the author describes her journey through autism with her deaf child.

This study examined the influence of gender on the transition goals and experiences of female students with disabilities. Data were gathered from 146 participants, including female youth with disabilities (n = 67), parents of young women with disabilities (n = 34), and professionals who work with them (n = 45). Findings suggest that females with…

Special educators struggle to develop legitimate Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs) that describe student needs and lead to academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine if using a rubric to create an IEP resulted in an increase in academic achievement. The conceptual framework is drawn from a synthesis of the literature on…

Meeting a growing need for school-based practitioners, this book provides vital tools for improving the academic, behavioral, and social outcomes of students with high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome (HFA/AS). Research-based best practices are presented for conducting meaningful assessments; collaborating with teachers, students, and…

Meeting the needs of children with disabilities requires strategies for engaging each and every child as an individual and facilitating their participation as a member of a group. The use of the project approach meets the needs of individual children by building on an awareness of children's interests and high expectations. All early childhood…

Drawing on interviews with parents of children with significant disabilities, as well as administrators and special education consultants, between the early 1990s and 2008 in a mid-Atlantic US state, this paper examines the work of parental advocates as they translate special education policies to negotiate concessions for parents, bring issues…

This study examined the effectiveness of a new school to adult life transition planning lesson package titled "Student-Directed Transition Planning". The "Student-Directed Transition Planning" lessons teach transition terms and concepts to provide a means to increase self-determination skills and student participation in…

Recent literature notes a significant increase in students being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Yet, no uniform testing protocol exists. It is vital for students and educators that a unified testing process be created and established. This study investigated which ASD testing instruments were currently used in Southern California…

This Issue Brief, an update of "Authorizing Virtual Charter Schools: Rules of the Road on the Digital Highway" by Gregg Vanourek, is part of NACSA's Cyber series, which addresses issues in policy and practice that concern authorizing online schools and blended learning. It aims to improve authorizer understanding and oversight of online…

The present study examined the effect accommodations have on test results of students with and without disabilities and documented experts' judgments about the appropriateness of testing accommodations. Test score data were collected from 218 fourth-grade students with and without disabilities on mathematics and science performance tasks and from…

How do professionals address accountability mandates that are derived from the No Child Left Behind Act and the overall educational needs of students who are visually impaired during the school day? Meeting state and federal mandates while maintaining the individuality of educational programs is challenging for all educators. Teachers of students…

The "Idaho K-12 & School Choice Survey" project, commissioned by The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and conducted by Braun Research Incorporated (BRI), measures Idaho registered voters' familiarity and views on a range of K-12 education issues and school choice reforms. We report response "levels" and…

This 2012 edition of this publication updates information provided by state coordinators on state policies, programs, and practices under the Preschool Grants Program (Section 619 of Part B) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Information includes: (1) program administration; (2) funding; (3) interagency coordination; (4)…