In response to the unique needs of students who are deaf or hard of hearing, the New Hampshire Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education has funded the Deaf Education Initiative which supports New Hampshire's schools and families in improving the educational outcomes of the state's children and youth with hearing loss. The initiative…

Most students with disabilities participate in state assessments with or without accommodations [based on each student's Individualized Education Program (IEP)]. A small number of students with the most severe or profound intellectual disabilities participate in an alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS). Until…

Students with low-incidence disabilities frequently receive less than optimal psychoeducational services because the specialized tests and instructional materials required to meet their idiosyncratic needs often are unavailable due to budget constraints, inadequate training of school personnel, and the difficulty school personnel have keeping…

The University of Florida offers continuing education units (CEUs) via distance technology using Polycom[R] to meet requirements for applicators of pesticides to renew their licenses. A large statewide event conducted in 2010 also included a needs assessment of this group concerning CEUs. Results indicate that these applicators strongly prefer…

One method to develop leaders is through leadership development programs designed specifically for an intended context. The International Leadership Association (ILA) provides questions for designing programs such programs. This article reflects data collected during the process of developing a leadership program serving the broader agricultural…

Discusses ways in which the legal bases for child welfare systems can be reformed, in terms of the current methods by which cases enter the child welfare system, and ways that placement is decided and individual cases are moved through the system. (CMG)

Collected information on the quality of needs assessments of the elderly from three sources. Found that the overall quality of the majority of needs assessments was so low as to provide little meaningful input to the planning process. Recommends that states focus on the improvement of needs assessment efforts. (Author)

Describes the development of a statewide strategy to improve resident outcomes in nursing facilities, and presents some evaluative data from this strategy. Results reveal that the partnership has resulted in state agency staff having information from analyses about resident needs. Suggests that other states should consider building partnerships…

Lessons for gifted education inservice derived from the Illinois Area Service Centers include: attention to real needs, well planned developmental models, training efforts targeted toward specific outcomes for specific groups, opportunity for followup observation and monitoring, and techniques for continuing personal staff development and renewal.…

The article presents a conceptual model to be utilized in conducting the necessary needs assessment activities to implement a successful gifted program at the school district or state agency level. (Author/DLS)

Several community projects of the Centers for Disease Control's Disabilities Prevention Program are described. The projects, which are coordinated at the state level, attempt to stimulate local involvement in disability prevention and to evaluate prevention needs and preventive interventions. (Author/JDD)

Triage is unique because it includes several functions under a single health care delivery model. Clients' morale improved with their sense of control. Family support systems were enhanced. Costs were reasonable as was the reimbursement system. (JAC)

Suggestions for enhancing use of evaluation studies (i.e., state-level mental health programs) are presented. Steps for maximizing evaluation utilization include marketing, planning, and conducting the evaluation; developing/focusing policy questions; translating findings; and making people pay attention to the results. These are processes for…

Interview with Chris Rhines, who oversees the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) program in Oregon, discusses the process used to select schools for CSRD, the critical role of principals as leaders of change, the importance of a school's ability to do a needs assessment and apply the findings, and common implementation problems. (CDS)

The statewide (Oregon) survey of special education administrators, high school special education teachers, and parents of mildly disabled high school students investigated four areas of special education services: focus/content, discrepancies between availability and utilization, barriers to mainstreaming, and conditions required for improvement.…