With the rising use of service dogs to support students with disabilities, it is important that teachers are knowledgeable about how they can be incorporated into their classroom. A recent ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court has highlighted the legal responsibility of schools to allow access to the service dogs of students. However, information…

The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning (National AEM Center) at CAST is a technical assistance (TA) center funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The purpose of the Center is to improve educational and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities through…

Rhode Island is committed to ensuring that all educators receive fair, accurate, and meaningful educator evaluations that provide information that can help all teachers improve and refine their practice. Currently, districts in Rhode Island may submit a district-designed model for approval that complies with the Educator Evaluation System…

It is essential for middle school leaders to develop and promote school-wide literacy models, organizational structures that have a significant impact on the learning environment for all students in their building. However, school-wide literacy models can be difficult to implement and sustain over time. Drawing from an Office of Special Education…

Rhode Island educators believe that implementing a fair, accurate, and meaningful educator evaluation and support system will help improve teaching and learning. The primary purpose of the Rhode Island Model Teacher Evaluation and Support System (Rhode Island Model) is to help all teachers improve. Through the Model, the goal is to help create a…

The purpose of this Guidebook is to describe the process and basic requirements for the student learning measures that are used as part of the building administrator evaluation and support process. For aspects of the process that have room for flexibility and school/district-level discretion, the different options have been clearly separated and…

The purpose of this Guidebook is to describe the process and basic requirements for the student learning measures that are used as part of the support professional evaluation and support process. For aspects of the process that have room for flexibility and school/district-level discretion, the different options have been clearly separated and…

Rhode Island is committed to ensuring that all educators receive fair, accurate, and meaningful educator evaluations that provide information that can help all teachers improve and refine their practice. This commitment is an outgrowth of the state's recognition of the influence teachers have on student growth and achievement. Currently, districts…

The purpose of this Guidebook is to describe the process and basic requirements for the student learning measures that are used as part of the teacher evaluation and support process. For aspects of the process that have room for flexibility and school/district-level discretion, the different options have been clearly separated and labeled with a…

The booklet, in questionnaire form, is designed to stimulate thinking and dialogue regarding attitudes toward and knowledge of disability. Fourteen questions address responses to situations dealing with people who have physical disabilities, blindness, speech impediments, mental illness, and deafness. Answers are provided for each of the questions…

This paper discusses the two important domains affecting the success of learning strategy training for students with learning disabilities or other mild handicaps: students' knowledge of critical skills and information potentially related to strategy use, and students' motivation to learn and use the strategy. The paper presents an eight-stage…

The booklet offers general suggestions, a quiz, specific activities, and a checklist to increase children's awareness of the needs and characteristics of persons with disabilities. Preferred terminology is explained and ways to provide children with direct experiences with persons with disabilities are suggested. The brief quiz serves both to…

The document contains materials needed to implement Project CHANGE (Concepts of Handicaps and Attitudes Need Guidance and Education), a curriculum designed to improve the attitudes of children in Grades K through 8 toward the disabled. Included are the program manual, assessment instruments, the resource file, and a scope and sequence chart. The…

The paper explores three reasons for low use by teachers of behavior modification: (1) differences in assumptions concerning causality, (2) attributions of responsibility, and (3) problems in modifying the working knowledge of teachers. The implications of these issues are discussed in terms of how consultants might increase the impact of…

The booklet describes an approach to individualizing parent involvement in special education programs. A family needs checklist addresses parents' knowledge (of community resources, educational programing, support services, and general information about normal developmental levels and tests and measurement); support; skills in working with…