Life Lab, an alternative educational program stressing self-directed learning at Miami-Dade Community College, is discussed in terms of its development, impact, and student attributes. More than half of the document presents personal histories and opinions of students and staff, alternating with the views of Dr. MacGregor Smith, program founder.…

Four research projects were conducted on the improvement of individualized instruction. Two methods of teaching foreign language were examined. In the first, the computer stored a profile of the student's previous performance in German vocabulary, and it developed a strategy to teach the student additional German words. The second project tested…

The publication was developed to provide cursory information about the people, places, and things essential to career and vocational education that may be seen at the Comprehensive Illinois Occupational Education Demonstration Center (CIOEDC) in Joliet, Illinois. The CIOEDC was designed to demonstrate several K-14 career and vocational education…

One-third of the report explains the nature of the project, its development, administration, and the details of the individualized instruction system. The project goal of developing an individualized cluster curriculum in occupational education is described. The five phases of planning, development, pilot testing, revision, and dissemination which…

This paper examines current issues in Taiwan in the transition of individuals with disabilities from school to work within the context of two laws passed in 1997 (the Special Education Act of 1997 and the Protection Act for Individuals with Disabilities of 1997). These laws are intended to secure for people with disabilities the right to…

A study evaluated the effectiveness of a residential program, based on the TEACCH model, in improving the program quality and adaptation of 32 adolescents and adults with autism and severe disabilities. Participants experienced an increase in structure and individualized programming in several areas, and the families were significantly more…

Presents a historical overview of state and federal legislation concerning special education, describes how court litigation has defined the constitutional rights of the disabled to access education, and outlines the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The procedural safeguards of the IDEA also are outlined,…

The study developed and tested a systematic format for discovering and displaying relationships among five major federal laws concerning the handicapped: P.L. 93-112 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973), P.L. 93-380 (Education Amendments of 1974), P.L. 94-63 (Special Health Revenue Sharing Act of 1974), P.L. 94-103 (Developmentally Disabled Assistance and…

An Iowa program used the Individualized Education Plan model to evaluate the vocational interests and appropriate program placement of newly incarcerated young prisoners. (Author/DB)

A model for gifted and talented children, the Revolving Door Identification and Programing Model, which stresses differentiated programing, can be applied to special education settings. The model has implications for identifying student skills and interests, streamlining the basic academic program to pursue those interests, and providing…

The Special Program Responding to Intellectual Needs of Gifted designed an assessment and intervention process similar to special education programs. Individual objectives and activities were written based on present functioning. Three years of implementation produced change in excess of chance and maturational projection in 22 of the 26…

Presents guidelines and strategies for the joint development and subsequent implementation of the individualized education programs (IEPs) and the relationship between special education and vocational education in this process. Three major topical areas are explored: key concepts, IEP development in vocational education, and IEP implementation…

The purpose of this guide is to help families prepare for those times during which their child moves from one environment to another and from one developmental stage to another. The focus of the guide is on the role of assistive technology (AT) during those times--how to consider a child's evolving AT needs, how to identify and address the AT…

As the parent of a child who has or may have a disability, the federal and state laws give them certain rights--called procedural safeguards. If they would like a more detailed explanation of these rights, they should contact the principal of their child's school, a school administrator, their local special education director, or any of the…

A component of a school assessment plan includes traditional IQ testing, often referred to as psychological or psycho-educational testing. Psycho-educational testing can yield information about how a student compares to others in her grade or age group, individual strengths and needs, and recommendations to improve instruction. The intended…