The purpose of educational assessments is to provide an academic check-up and to give educators, parents, students, and policymakers valuable feedback about students' academic strengths, areas that need improvement, how well they are progressing toward college and career readiness, and the effectiveness of the state's educational system. This…

Student graduation from high school with a regular high school diploma is an important indicator of school success and one of the most significant indicators of student college and career readiness. In addition, there are substantial economic benefits to high school completion. For example, according to the U.S. Department of Education's National…

The checklist provided here is intended to provide schools, districts, or other stakeholders in secondary transition with a framework for determining the degree to which their program is implementing practices that are likely to lead to more positive post-school outcomes for students with disabilities. The predictor categories listed have been…

Research has identified educational and career development interventions that can make a positive difference in the lives of youth. Work-based learning experiences, preferably connected to curriculum content; student-centered individualized education programs that drive instruction; family involvement in and support of education and career…

This Issue Brief, an update of "Authorizing Virtual Charter Schools: Rules of the Road on the Digital Highway" by Gregg Vanourek, is part of NACSA's Cyber series, which addresses issues in policy and practice that concern authorizing online schools and blended learning. It aims to improve authorizer understanding and oversight of online…

For lower-achieving students with disabilities, effective and appropriate alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS) can open the door to greater expectations and opportunities. State policymakers have the option of providing certain students who have disabilities with AA-MAS aligned with grade-level content--and now…

Before teachers can productively implement individualized education programs for handicapped students, substantive IEP planning should occur at state and local levels. Impediments to IEP development should be identified and relationships among federal, state, and local agencies clarified. A paradigm is offered to help the teacher systematically…

This monograph is intended to encourage policy formation and appropriate interventions for young children with emotional/behavioral disorders (E/BD). After an introductory chapter, the second chapter analyzes policy within the areas of both behavioral disorders and early intervention, including existing labels and eligibility criteria, reluctance…

Inclusion advocates support heterogeneous programs where special education students are educated within the confines of a regular educational classroom. An array of services are provided that are coordinated across educational and community agency personnel. Districts must make sure the students are ready to be included, the staff is trained, and…

The manual describes program standards and guidelines for New York programs interested in qualifying for state reimbursement for special education costs ordered by the court in serving handicapped students birth to 5 years of age. Standards are set forth for the following areas: eligibility (including definitions of handicapped conditions);…

The manual, one of a series designed to help Florida school districts provide special programs for exceptional students, focuses on approaches for successful interagency planning for profoundly mentally handicapped (PMH) students. Chapter 1 introduces the principal agencies involved--state department of education, local school districts, and the…

Examines the areas in which educational misconduct involving handicapped students is likely to occur. Argues for accountability for such misconduct and discusses why remediation should be by common law tort action. Explains why the Handicapped Children Act procedures are not appropriate in litigation. (MD)

The publication is intended to help those wishing to establish educational programs for handicapped preschoolers. Nine topic areas are addressed: (1) assessing local service needs; (2) identifying available funding sources; (3) choosing a program site; (4) locating and accessing referral services (suggested strategies for generating referrals);…

Because of the importance of preventing inappropriate disciplinary measures for special education students and those with disabilities, school boards should direct administrators to set specific procedures and limits on disciplinary measures, boost staff development programs, and establish open communication with parents. (MLF)

This booklet, organized in a question and answer format, is designed to help state and local education officials, Medicaid officials, and others understand the federal policies governing conditions under which the Medicaid program can pay for the related services required by the individualized education program of a child with disabilities. An…