The manual describes the Maryland State Department of Education's responsibility and legal authority for administering the nonpublic school tuition assistance program for handicapped students. Procedures are addressed for such general areas as nonpublic institutions and child placement approval authority, nonpublic placement eligibility criteria,…

Intended for parents of handicapped children, the handbook summarizes information regarding legal rights in the following areas: procedural safeguards (records, program planning, assessments), hearings, resource information, due process rights, local education agency resources, membership in the Maryland State Board of Education, state advisory…

To raise the achievement of every student, Maryland designed "Achievement Matters Most," a plan for public schools that sets goals in the areas of achievement, teaching, testing, safety, and family involvement in schools. Achievement Matters Most supports Maryland schools' efforts to meet the goals of the federal No Child Left Behind…

The manual is intended to help parent surrogates carry out their role by providing an overview of the special education decisionmaking process in Maryland. The parent surrogate is responsible for representing the child in all matters relating to identification, evaluation, educational placement, and programing. Roles of the parent surrogate are…

This guidebook is intended to assist parents of children with disabilities who will be returning to the state of Maryland because of Senate Bill 588, which strongly discourages out-of-state placements of individuals with disabilities or other special needs. The first section is on "getting ready" and provides a summary of Senate Bill…

This document provides guidance for establishing a tiered instructional approach to support the achievement of all students in Maryland public school, particularly those not demonstrating mastery of grade level content. The framework includes student screening, identification of specific learning needs, provision of appropriate instruction aligned…

This guide suggests a fresh perspective for families and professionals working together to develop Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities living in Maryland. It begins by explaining the purpose of IEPs and by providing the principles for IEP development in Maryland. Information is then provided on how the IEP is…

Intended to help parents of handicapped children when they meet in partnership with public school staff to discuss their child's educational needs, the handbook presents an overview of federal and Maryland state legislation regarding children with handicaps and summarizes the special education process. The initial section, on building a…

This "Packet of Information for Families" (PIF) was developed for parents whose children are identified as both gifted/ talented and on the autism spectrum, or twice-exceptional. Parents of twice-exceptional children often search for appropriate and challenging enrichment programs for their child, but the dearth of information available…

This booklet, on the transition of Maryland students with disabilities to life after high school, is designed to build informal partnerships for the transition planning process. It provides details about: (1) the goals and components of transition planning; (2) the participants in transition planning; (3) the timing for formal transition planning;…

A product of the Project on Vocational Education Models for Linking Agencies Serving the Handicapped, this handbook is designed to assist state and local level personnel to develop effective linking strategies that will help meet the needs of handicapped students. It consists of 11 chapters. Following an introductory explanation of the purpose and…