To strengthen inclusion practices in schools, a mandate was passed requiring special education teachers working at the middle and high school levels to become content certified. The purpose of this research study was to examine the outcome the content/dual certification mandate had on special education teachers' roles in co-taught inclusion…

Over the past decade, as their work has grown increasingly complex, teachers have come under increasing scrutiny. Most are coping with more students, smaller raises, and fewer resources. Educators are expected to meet higher standards and demonstrate their impact on student learning, often with an increasingly diverse and challenging student…

The purpose of this technical assistance paper is to provide a description of the procedures used to determine school grades for the 2014 school year. Florida's current school accountability system originated with state legislation passed in 1999 (the "A+ Plan") and has been revised periodically to reflect increased standards and…

As America's Great City Schools implement the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), they have a unique opportunity to integrate strategies for teaching, intervening, and supporting the nation's urban students in a way that will ensure they have the literacy, numeracy, behavioral, and engagement skills necessary to be successful in college and…

The purpose of this document is to provide information and guidance for Nebraska School districts in creating new, or revising existing policies and procedures related to the use of physical restraint and seclusion in school settings. The goal is to create policies that are informed by national policy directions, research, good practice and…

This guide is designed as a reference for District and School personnel working with English learners (ELs). The content of the guide represents a compilation of information, examples, and resources. This guide is a living document and subject to frequent updates. It is recommended to review the document online rather than printing a hard copy.

The Council of Chief State School Officers' "Accommodations Manual: How to Select, Administer, and Evaluate the Use of Accommodations for Instruction and Assessment of Students with Disabilities" was first developed to establish guidelines for states to use for the selection, administration, and evaluation of accommodations for…

This manual presents suggested measures which are designed to examine the outcomes of support and service provision on the lives of people with disabilities in Illinois. Included are 30 measures for people and 16 measures for organizations. The measures were developed after initial input from people with disabilities participating in a Community…

The administrator's manual is designed to help Minnesota's school districts to implement their new surrogate parent programs. The first section explains what must occur according to federal and state rules and regulations on the topic. Three steps are identified: (1) identifying students who need surrogate parents; (2) recruiting and naming…

The document is intended to establish criteria for preschool services so that a handicapped child qualifying for services in one area of the state (Iowa) will qualify for those same services in another geographic area. An initial section examines the state's philosophical commitment to handicapped children. A subsequent section addresses the…

This document contains California's guidelines for serving students with severe orthopedic impairments in the public schools. Elements characteristic of well-designed programs are described in the guide's three chapters, and each description is followed by a series of questions for program evaluation. The first chapter addresses approaches to…

This bulletin provides guidelines to Missouri educators concerning inclusion of students with disabilities in state and district-wide assessments of school achievement as required under Missouri's Outstanding Schools Act and the reauthorization of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997. It stresses the greater focus on…

This guide is intended to provide parents, administrators and service providers in Iowa with information needed to access and implement early childhood special education (ECSE) programs and services for children with disabilities from birth through age five. Section 1 provides an overview of ECSE in Iowa, including the program rationale, program…

The purpose of this compilation of alternate assessment participation guidelines is two fold: to provide a resource for states and to establish a data source and baseline for the evolution of such guidelines. This report is primarily intended for staff of the State Departments of Education in Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South…

This policy statement clarifies the role of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team in selecting individual accommodations, modifications in administration, and alternate assessments for state and district-wide assessments. It states that neither the state education agency (SEA) nor the local education agency (LEA) can limit the authority…