Surveying 15 states and 39,837 students, this study examined the extent to which students who took an alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards in the 2010--2011 school year had access to regular education settings and the extent to which that access correlated with expressive communication, use of an augmentative or…

Two studies document benefits of implementing CBM (curriculum-based measurement) in both special and regular education settings. In Study 1 CBM is demonstrated to be a valid and reliable measurement system that aids teacher decisions regarding student placement, progress, and intervention effectiveness in an elementary school. Study II outlines…

This position paper proposes an expanded definition of transition, based on common components of early childhood and secondary perspectives. It advocates for a seamless model of transition service delivery for students with disabilities, including program planning, from birth through age 21. The model addresses curriculum, location of services,…

Both segregated and desegregated school models for severely handicapped students are considered, and an individualized transition plan is proposed. Among the plan's major components are that it must be comprehensive, involve parents and guardians, require actual participation of both sending and receiving personnel, and include the focused…

The author addresses the issue of the match between traditional secondary school curriculum and the skills/competencies needed by many handicapped students. A functional model used by the Department of Defense Dependents Schools is discussed in terms of individualized programing, modification/addition of competencies, scheduling, generalizability…

Advantages and disadvantages of five policy approaches are examined regarding graduation requirements for handicapped students: pass/fail, certificate of attendance, the individualized education program, special education diplomas, and specialized curriculum approaches. (CL)

Follow-up at age 9 of 141 children who had participated in either a mediated learning (ML) or direct instruction (DI) early intervention program found no main-effect differences between the 2 groups. Several significant aptitude-by-treatment interactions were found, with initially higher performing children gaining more from DI and initially lower…

Curriculum beliefs and practices were surveyed with 341 Colorado elementary and secondary special education teachers. Findings include: training in curriculum development occurs mostly on the job; teachers want training in teaching compensatory and life skills; teachers believe that individualized education plans constitute the curriculum for…