In July 2006, Senate Bill 130 was passed by the Kentucky legislature. The bill amended KRS 158.6453 to include the provision that "no later than the 2007-2008 school year, and each year thereafter" the Commonwealth's assessment program shall include a high school readiness examination in grade 8, a college readiness examination in grade…

Using evidence from Durham, North Carolina, we examine the impact of school choice programs on racial and class-based segregation across schools. Theoretical considerations suggest that how choice programs affect segregation will depend not only on the family preferences emphasized in the sociology literature but also on the linkages between…

The criteria regular education teachers use to determine which students to refer for evaluation not only vary, but are also unclear. In the best interest of children, it is important to understand what leads to a teacher referral of certain students and not others. Thus the primary objective of this study was to identify the factors that influence…

The introduction of an outcomes-based curriculum in South Africa together with a new syllabus for physical sciences for grades 10-12, prompted the development of an instrument to monitor conceptual understanding in chemistry at the secondary-tertiary interface. This instrument was used to evaluate placement within different programmes at tertiary…

Originally described by Leo Kanner (1943) and recognized as a special education eligibility category by the U.S. Department of Education in 1990 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA], 1990), autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by deficits in reciprocal social interactions, communication, and interests and behaviors.…

Three papers discuss issues in providing vocational education services to handicapped children. In the first, "Vocational Education Speaks to Special Education," G. Rackliffe and N. Pearson consider aspects of appropriate placement and describe a handbook produced to address vocational issues for special educators. The handbook covers such topics…

Four elementary students referred for special education evaluation were observed systematically for 2 entire days each at three different times within the referral-to-placement process. Data were recorded on 53 variables within six categories in 10 second intervals to examine changes in the nature of instruction and academic responding time as a…

Developed by the staff of the Albuquerque Integration Model (Project AIM Outreach), the guidelines present a framework for organizing and conducting an integrated classroom for handicapped and nonhandicapped preschoolers. AIM is reviewed in terms of its conception of placement along a continuum of less restrictive environments. Guidelines center…

The report is one of the three documents designed to provide baseline data on the delivery of vocational and special education services for secondary level mildly handicapped learners in 13 school districts in Washington State. Specifically, the report examines the programming patterns in the enrollment of secondary special education students in a…

The study examines the status of providing services to children in out-of-district placements and the implementation of the least restrictive environment mandate for handicapped children. Part I reviews the statutory mandate for least restrictive placement and notes policy problems associated with the effort. Part II identifies state policies to…

A brief overview of mental retardation defines the concept, discusses incidence in the general population, describes characteristics of mentally retarded individuals, and discusses educational implications. References for further reading, as well as organizational resources, are provided. (JW)

Ways in which gifted children may be handicapped are discussed, as are provisions for educating gifted children according to their ability. (GW)

Issues in student placement, particularly of economically disadvantaged gifted students, are addressed. After a brief review of the legislative history of efforts to identify and serve this population, the conceptual framework of two diverse theoretical positions, decision theory and justice as fairness, is examined. Decision theory is considered…

The individual assessment and decision making procedure in cases of handicapped children of 12 individuals were surveyed and described in detail. Four school psychologists, four special educators, and four regular educators were selected randomly from those who had participated in a computer simulated assessment and decision making exercise. The…

The book describes Pennsylvania's approach for determining placement of handicapped students in the least restrictive environment (LRE), as mandated by P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Separate sections address the following two topics (subtopics in parentheses): the LRE decision process (content for the decision…