Special education programs and support services for individuals with learning disabilities must be part of an education agency's total instructional program and must not be regarded as a separate and parallel system. Recommendations regarding program and service planning and implementation and service options are presented. (CB)

A survey of 127 high school special education teachers revealed a number of deficiencies in vocational programming for mildly handicapped students, with deficiencies more widespread for rural than for nonrural schools. Fewer rural schools administered interest inventories, used inventory results for placement, or placed mildly handicapped students…

Achievement data of elementary learning-disabled students in both an Integrated Classroom Model (ICM) and resource rooms were compared. The ICM was shown to be more cost effective than resource room programs while achieving similar results on reading, math, and language tests for learning-disabled students and on general achievement tests for…

The theoretical and empirical support available for retention and social promotion, specifically for exceptional children, is reviewed. The impact of these procedures on academic performance, self esteem, and social development is discussed. It is concluded that these procedures are not effective interventions for children with school failure.…

The text of the Southern Regional Education Board's recent report on and recommendations for access to quality education is presented. The report concerns access to quality; improving quality; student qualifications and placement; remedial and compensatory education; student achievement standards; and faculty and curriculum. (MSE)

Describes the California comprehensive adult student assessment system that measures the identified competencies of local education programs, and provides information about student placement, progress, and competency attainment in a format that is meaningful to the student, the instructor, and the program manager. (Author/CT)

Presents five articles dealing with Black males. Topics include an analysis of vocational theory and vocational behavior in Black males, career development implications for school guidance services, the impact of race on teacher recommendations for special education placement, depressive symptomatology, and hope as a factor in actualizing the…

Suggests strategies for teaching English as a second language to non-English speaking students in small schools and warns of possible cultural differences which may lead to misunderstandings. (MH)

Research contrasting special class placement, partial mainstreaming, and complete mainstreaming of students with mild academic handicaps is critically reviewed. Also reviewed is recent research on programs designed to improve the outcomes of mainstreaming, particularly programs directed at diminishing the rejection of students with mild academic…

A conceptual model for school-based personality assessment, methods to integrate behavioral and projective assessment procedures, and issues surrounding the use of projective tests are presented. Ways to maximize the personality assessment process for use in placement and programing decisions are suggested. (Author/DWH)

Multiple-choice reading comprehension items from a conventional, norm-referenced reading comprehension test were successfully analyzed using a simple latent class model. Results support the use of latent class, state mastery models with more heterogenous item pools than has been previously advocated. (Author/PN)

Reasons for the increasing emphasis on including an adaptive behavior evaluation when assessing children considered mildly mentally retarded are reviewed. The relationship between measures of adaptive behavior and intellectual ability and the issue of declassification are discussed. The educational relevance of adaptive behavior for nonbiased…

Argues that colleges can use Verbal SAT scores to place freshmen in reading courses when comprehension measures are not available. (HOD)

Data from 44 studies were mathematically integrated to determine the effect of grade-level retention on elementary and/or junior high school pupils. Grand means and effect sizes of dependent variable measures, including academic achievement and personal adjustment, were calculated. Outcomes for promoted pupils were more positive than for retained…

The responses of 205 regular classroom teaches to the Rucker-Gable Educational Programming Scale were factor analyzed. Results indicated that the instrument measures four dimensions, accounting for only 42 percent of the total variance. Estimates of internal consistency for the scores and subscores were also modest. (Author/BW)