This system aims to improve the communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity in schools that serve students with disabilities, especially those in urban and/or high-poverty settings. The STAR system outlines five practices that build a more adaptive and inclusive education environment while utilizing modes of communication and…

Presents achievements of the Community College of Denver's Center for the Physically Disadvantaged, which provides blind, deaf, brain-damaged, and wheelchair students with vocational evaluations, health services, instructional support, counseling, and job placement. Emphasizes special attitudes, resourcefulness, and commitment instead of…

Personnel preparation in learning disabilities should stress a broad theoretical understanding of individual differences, interdisciplinary collaboration, and working with families. These goals can best be met by generic programs with specialization only in terms of severity of learning impairment. An outline for such a 2-year program is given.…

The handicapped student services model described in this paper provides students at De Anza College with a full, balanced range of services and instruction. After an introductory section, the paper describes the strategic planning process and identifies the three strategic decisions that influenced the development of De Anza's handicapped services…

The place of private residential programs in the care of individuals with disabilities is discussed. Problems often associated with residential centers are considered and the Woods School, a private institution for handicapped children and adults, is described as an example of the positive benefits of private institutional care. (PHR)

Describes how a group of adults with autism, mental retardation, and other disabilities has accessed a means of communication and formed a bridge to the community through poetry. (SR)

The advantages of teaching computer literacy to learning disabled adolescents are discussed in the context of a private school program. It is emphasized that the use of computers is helpful in teaching metacognitive skills, requiring learning disabled students to be logical and sequential, analyze, self-question, and monitor their own learning.…

The parent of a handicapped child reviews the development of parent groups and parent advocacy internationally. Among the programs described are weekend education courses for parents in Norway, deinstitutionalization efforts in England, mass media approaches in France, and the Extend-a-Family program in Canada in which a handicapped child is…

The need for a new approach to the education of nonacademic students is stressed, and a nonreading approach for learning disabled elementary children, the Parallel Alternate Curriculum, is discussed. (PHR)

The column presents three brief articles on mainstreaming. W. Tice presents his view that Public Law 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act) has been a disaster for American education. J. Halpert discusses problems in the implementation of P.L. 94-142. One high school's response to the mainstreaming mandate is recounted by P.…

This study examined the involvement of students with disabilities in the New American Schools Development Corporation (NASDC) projects. The report begins with a description of the competition to select demonstration projects that would create teams to design, implement, and disseminate "break-the-mold" schools to bring about educational…

Discusses (1) rationale for early identification and programing for gifted/talented children, (2) issues in developing a program for young children, (3) procedures for identifying the young gifted child, (4) guidelines for program evaluation, and (5) principles for program development. Two university programs, one for identifying gifted…

Reveals that 7 percent of the community college population has some type of special education need. Outlines steps taken in various schools to serve learning disabled students and discusses some of the drawbacks to establishing and maintaining adequate programs and services. (AYC)

Examines the legal mandates requiring vocational education to serve the handicapped and presents examples of progress that has been made over the past 10 years. (LRA)

Offering a discussion for administrators and practitioners serving disabled and at-risk infants, toddlers, and their families, these three addresses explore issues, strategies, and models of program evaluation. "Major Issues in Program Evaluation," by Kathryn Barnard, discusses the purpose of, process of, and ways of doing program…