Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disabilities among students, and teachers are often the very first to notice dyslexic students. It is therefore imperative that teachers be well-prepared to intervene appropriately and effectively once they encounter dyslexic students. The current study investigates teachers' knowledge about the disorder…

The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning (National AEM Center) at CAST is a technical assistance (TA) center funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The purpose of the Center is to improve educational and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities through…

As the focus on bullying has grown, attention to incidents of and concern about sexual harassment has diminished. It is easy to understand that sexual harassment can be a form of bullying, especially when it is used to intimidate, but it is also a form of discrimination prohibited by federal and state laws. Effective implementation and enforcement…

It is essential for middle school leaders to develop and promote school-wide literacy models, organizational structures that have a significant impact on the learning environment for all students in their building. However, school-wide literacy models can be difficult to implement and sustain over time. Drawing from an Office of Special Education…

The purpose of this Guidebook is to describe the process and basic requirements for the student learning measures that are used as part of the building administrator evaluation and support process. For aspects of the process that have room for flexibility and school/district-level discretion, the different options have been clearly separated and…

The power of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) lies in the rights of students with disabilities to a free, appropriate public education. For individuals exercising their rights under this legislation, the reality is that services are sometimes hampered and limited even with legislated rights. In spite of evidence that in…

In 1990, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act rededicated the provisions of PL 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, providing that all children with disabilities be afforded a free, appropriate, public education in the least restrictive environment. In 2004, it was renamed the Individuals with Disabilities…

The paper is a product of the 3-year project, "Functional Mainstreaming for Success," designed to develop a model for instructional mainstreaming of handicapped children (3-6 years old) in community settings. The literature review on teacher attitudes toward mainstreaming stresses implication of these attitudes for successful mainstreaming, and…

The responsibilities and duties of administrators in special education are examined, particularly with regard to mainstreaming. Knowledge of disabilities, educational trends, and specific agencies and community services is necessary as well as an understanding of the legal requirements of P.L. 94-142 (The Education for All Handicapped Children…

This report describes attempts to inform regular elementary teachers about the needs of handicapped students and to change negative attitudes about special education. Informal staff workshops addressed legislation, common characteristics of handicapped students, and successful techniques for incorporating students with various disabilities into…

The newsletter contains several separate sections which explore recent research on the information needs of the rehabilitation counselor or address issues counselors face when using supported employment with clients. An interview with Darlene Ackerman, a vocational rehabilitation counselor in Virginia, is include, in which she comments on barriers…

The paper is a product of the 3-year project, "Functional Mainstreaming for Success," designed to develop a model for instructional mainstreaming of handicapped children (3-6 years old) in community settings. The paper provides a seven point definition of successful mainstreaming and reviews the literature on the role of special…

The report documents the evaluation of a New York City program, the State Incentive Grant to Improve Pupil Performance, in which high school special education teachers received training in general education curriculum and instructional techniques to fulfill a new regulation allowing high school special education students to meet general education…

The report documents evaluation by the Office of Educational Assessment of implementation by the New York City school system of the State Incentive Grant to Improve Pupil Performance which provided training to 5,000 teachers and 3,400 paraprofessionals serving handicapped students in elementary, intermediate, and junior high self-contained…

Regular classroom teachers (n=114) who had taken a special education course were queried as to the value of the information presented to them, after they had begun to teach mainstreamed students. Results indicated that teachers considered the topics covered to be very important, and reported themselves to be fairly competent to deal with…