This article provides strategies for writing precise goals and short-term objectives or benchmarks as part of individualized education programs (IEPs). Guidelines and examples address: definitions, reasons for clarity and precision, individual parts of goals and objectives, inclusion of time factors in objectives and benchmarks, number of…

This idea offers tools and suggested processes to encourage parent participation in (IEP) Individualized Education Program team meetings. It considers aspects of team culture using three examples to illustrate how the meeting environment, culture, and language can discourage parent participation. Suggestions for changing team practices follow.…

By making the general curriculum the reference point for all considerations, The New Era proposals set forth by the President's Commission are devoid of all considerations of individual differences. Rather than tailoring IEP's to the particular learning characteristics of individual children, it is suggested that one kind of good, scientifically…

A multiple baseline across behaviors design was used to evaluate the efficacy of embedded instruction with 3 students with developmental disabilities who were enrolled in general education classes. Two general education teachers and 1 paraprofessional delivered embedded instruction to students during regularly scheduled instructional activities.…

The success that youth with disabilities achieve in school can be influenced by access to a range of services that support their education goals. As part of its mandate, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA '97) requires the provision of related services and supports to students with disabilities who are deemed…

Background: Judgements about students' competence influence the goals of their individualised education programs (IEPs), the location of service delivery, and their placement in general education (GE) as opposed to special education (SE) classes. The purpose of this study was to describe how presumed competence to learn the GE curriculum was…

June 22, 2007, was the 25th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley (hereafter Rowley; 1982). In Rowley, the Supreme Court interpreted congressional intent in requiring that public schools provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to students with…

This analysis examines the demographics of the special needs population in public and private schools in Oklahoma and estimates the impact on school enrollments providing tax credit funded scholarship grants for special needs students. The author and his colleagues develop a model that shows how the expenditures of Oklahoma's school districts vary…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004 supports equitable access to educational opportunities for all children who have disabilities. IDEA requires that students who receive services for special needs receive a free appropriate public education, and have access to the general education curriculum, which includes…

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) "Special Education at a Glance," which includes a copy of the "Guide to Planning and Assessing School-Based Special Education Programs," provides in a single document, information about the special education population at each Montgomery County (Maryland public school, including…

The Autism Spectrum Australia Satellite Class Project features small specialist classes for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) within general education schools. The program incorporates individual education goals within timetable based on the general school curricula, in conjunction with a schedule of integrated activities. The aim of…

Transition is movement or change without interruption. It should be a smooth flow from one place or condition to another. While the transition plan for a student receiving special education services is designed to prepare him or her for life after high school, transition can start when a child enters preschool. The second of six distinct stages of…

Evaluation is a process that helps parents and schools determine whether a child has a disability. Under IDEA a "child with a disability" is one who qualifies for special education and related services. A child cannot receive special education without an evaluation. Evaluation is completed in all areas of suspected disability. The…

This paper focuses on "technologies for voice" that are related to the self-determination of youth with developmental disabilities. The authors describe a self-determination model that values family-focused, community-referenced pedagogies employing "new media" to give voice to youth and their families. In line with the adage that a picture is…

Today's special education teachers are expected to be able to give all students access to the general education curriculum (McLaughlin & Thurlow, 2003). This responsibility can be particularly challenging given the wide range of ages, ability levels, and needs of the students they teach (Huefner, 2000). This paper describes results of a thorough…