This article explores the placement practices of students into different educational programs in PreK-first grade, including two bilingual education programs and an ESL "mainstream" classroom. We then examine the discourse practices of four third-grade teachers and the school principal. Our findings suggest that initial program placement…

African American students receive placements in special education in numbers disproportionate to their representation in the population at large. They are also placed in most restrictive settings in large numbers. The current quantitative study was designed to examine the influence of participation in ARD/IEP meetings by African American parents…

In recent years, with support from the Texas Legislature, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has funded various developmental education initiatives, including research and evaluation efforts, to help Texas public institutions of higher education provide more effective programs and services to underprepared students. Based on evaluation…

The paper describes a 5-year longitudinal study of a Texas school district's implementation of an individualized mainstream special education program. "Plan A" program activities and outcomes are reported for five phases (sample subtopics in parentheses): initiation in one high school, one junior high school and eight elementary schools…

Vocational education programs for handicapped students in Texas were evaluated in order to make recommendations for improvement. Three objectives were proposed: (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of training for entry-level knowledge and skills provided to handicapped students enrolled in vocational education for the handicapped (VEH) programs; (2)…

This paper offers a literature review of materials concerning inclusion of students with disabilities, and reports on the 3-year development of an inclusion program at one elementary school in Texas. The literature review is organized into sections which address legislative initiatives and law, special education programs with mainstreaming, the…

Described is the role of the Center for Innovation in Teaching the Handicapped (CITH) in Project PRIME (Programmed Reentry into Mainstream Education), which attempted to assess the efficacy of mainstreaming for 1,035 emotionally disturbed, educable mentally retarded, and language/learning disabled Texas pupils in grades 3-5. The behavior…

With the heightened emphasis of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 on inclusion in the general curriculum and meeting the associated standards, assistive technology (AT) has become a necessary consideration to ensure a free appropriate public education and to promote education in the least restrictive environment…

Described are a Texas special education region's activities with the 3-year Project CCEC (Changing Curriculum for Exceptional Children) which provides training in the application of the theories of J. Piaget to the education of exceptional children, and with Project SERT (Special Education for Regular Teachers) which trains regular classroom…

This four-part handbook is designed to aid teachers in planning, conducting, and evaluating vocational education programs for the handicapped (VEH). The handbook is based on identified competencies needed by VEH teachers in any area of vocational education. Part 1, on the operation of the program, includes chapters on laws pertaining to the…

Spurred by the inclusion trend, adapted physical education (APE) has emerged as a fundamental education service for children with disabilities in recent years. Although only 15 states have a certification or endorsement in APE, the Adapted Physical Education National Standards examination has produced certified APE educators in 21 additional…

Eight papers presented at a March 1993 conference address the role of education in systems of care for children's mental health. Papers have the following titles and authors: (1) "Interagency Collaboration through a School-Based Wraparound Approach: A Systems Analysis Summary of Project WRAP" (Lucille Eber and Carol Stieper); (2)…

A project assessed current counseling activities, services, and programs in grades 7 and 8 that address vocational interest and aptitude assessment for handicapped and disadvantaged students. Staff developed a description of vocational assessment instruments available to public schools and a guide for interpreting and using vocational assessment…

A study examined the impact of teaching handicapped students in regular vocational education classrooms on class interaction and instructional variables. During the study, researchers conducted individual interviews with 22 vocational education instructors from 11 randomly selected school districts throughout Texas and later conducted a total of…

In Texas, inservice and preservice education has been mandated for teacher certification. This education covers least restrictive environment, characteristics of handicapped students, informal assessment, and individualized educational programs. The training provided has taken many forms--statewide conferences, school district inservice, retreats,…