Local school systems, Local Education Agencies [LEAs], and universities, Institutions of Higher Education [IHEs], work together in a variety of ways in the initial preparation and ongoing professional development of teachers, although it is difficult to ascertain the number of LEA/IHE partnerships. These relationships typically allow for a…

The final report describes activities and products of a 3-year project to prepare private sector volunteers to become actively involved in special education through a networking system of industry-education partnerships. Using a trainer of trainers model, the project conducted workshops and produced a training package which includes a program…

The paper recommends that young children with disabilities be placed in preschool classes with normally developing children whenever possible. Significant benefits are cited in the areas of social, emotional, and communication development when children with handicapping conditions are educated in settings with their nonhandicapped peers. Four…

The state plan outlines aspects of special education in Kansas. The initial section provides background information and outlines the needs in teaching positions (both professional and paraprofessional) and in the numbers of students receiving special education. The second section addresses the following state department operations: administration…

The report examines special education personnel preparation programs initiated under federal law. The evolution of the federal role in personnel preparation is reviewed beginning with the National Defense Education Act in 1958. Four federal initiatives are analyzed in detail: The Fellowship/Traineeship Program, the Program Assistance Grants, the…

The article addresses the exclusion of social maladjustment from the federal definition of serious emotional disturbance and proposes a limited interpretation which would prevent the inappropriate exclusion of students with antisocial behavior from special education services. Briefly discussed are related issues of identification and programing.…

This article argues that providing good gifted and talented education programs is in the nation's economic self-interest and is essential to the United States' future economic competitiveness in the world community. (DB)

The monograph describes Project INTERFACE, a 2-year collaborative effort among the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) of Nassau County (New York), Long Island University, and three local school districts. The project identified the "most effective" implementation strategies for integrating microcomputer instruction into…

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…

The paper traces the establishment and outcomes of a special education program development unit as part of the West Virginia Department of Education. It is explained that the office used a process/product planning approach with information on mission, role/function, allocation of function and resources, and multiple matrix analysis planning. Based…

In this cooperative agreement, Maine's Division of Special Education, Bureau of Adult and Secondary Vocational Education, and Bureau of Rehabilitation (including the Vocational Rehabilitation Program and the Division of Eye Care) document their intent to develop collaboratively programs to provide educational, vocational, occupational, supportive,…

The paper provides a synthesis of "best practices" from the field of disability, which can be applied to develop exemplary early childhood special education programs. Exemplary programs are determined to be those providing services that are integrated, comprehensive, normalized, adaptable, peer- and family-referenced, and outcome-based.…

The key to improving the early education of all young children, including those with special needs, is the effective preparation and development of the professionals who work with them. "Practical Approaches to Early Childhood Professional Development" is a comprehensive planning resource for college faculty and consultants engaged in preservice …

The booklet presents regulations of New York's Education Law as it pertains to handicapped children. Fourteen topics are addressed: definitions; board of Education responsibilities; role and function of the Committee on the Handicapped; procedures for referral, evaluation, individualized education program development, placement, and review;…

The packet consists of information derived from several sources on models for delivering services to rural handicapped students. The first part of the packet defines "rural," followed by a discussion of factors hindering rural service delivery and a model describing the continuum of services in rural areas. Seven model programs and projects from…