Research on the prevalence of handicaps among juvenile delinquents has been sporadic, and results inconsistent. Nevertheless, taken together the studies suggest that a high percentage of young offenders are indeed handicapped, and that the prevalence of certain disabilities may be much greater among this population than among the general…

To examine how consistently categories are defined and identification procedures are followed, the study compared variability of prevalence rates from state to state for each of the categories of special education. With effects of the size of means controlled for, the higher prevalence categories were no more variable as a group than lower ones.…

The article reviews the purpose of test norms, describes the uses of special norms (such as alternation of test format or administration or as a guide for education programming) and presents an outline of specific procedures for constructing them. (CL)

The four Supreme Court decisions interpreting the Education for All Handicapped Children Act which have been handed down to date are reviewed: Board of Education v. Rowley (1982), Irving v. Tatro (1984), Smith v. Robinson (1984), and Burlington v. Department of Education (1985). Implications and pending legislation are discussed. (JW)

Results of the study indicate that much of the variance among states in terms of numbers of handicapped students identified and use of special versus mainstreamed placement is accounted for by the amount of financial resources states and locals commit to education, a state's minority enrollment, and the number of children living in poverty.…

A survey of 377 adults at a small city shopping mall showed positive attitudes toward mainstreaming of handicapped students with normal potential for learning, and less favorable attitudes toward students exhibiting disruptive behavior. Subjects showed attitudinal differences based on their race, age, and child in school, but not their gender.…

In response to Derry (EC 233 120), this article considers implications of learning strategy instruction for teachers of special education populations. The paper identifies relatively easy- and relatively difficult-to-train cognitive strategies, and reviews research on mnemonic instruction (complex mnemonic instruction, group-generated mnemonic…

Examination of parental attributions of exceptionality within a mainstreamed classroom revealed differences in rank ordering of seven categories of exceptionalities. The category of emotionally disturbed was considered least desirable. (CL)

The paper reviews recent research involving the use of mnemonic techniques with exceptional students which suggest that students instructed in these techniques consistently and significantly outperform students given alternative modes of study--including direct instruction--on a variety of school-learning tasks. (Author/CL)

The training of learning strategies with students having academic difficulties is discussed in the context of theory that distinguishes between declarative and procedural knowledge and between inert and useful learning. Explained are effective learning strategies for acquiring useful declarative knowledge, practice strategies for procedural…

Forty teachers (16 regular classroom teachers, 13 resource specialists, and 11 special day class teachers) rated 12 special education activities on 18 bipolar scales. The results revealed two major dimensions explained by the corresponding rating scales and Ss that most contributed to their formation: job ownership and adult versus child-oriented…

Using data from the national Phi Delta Kappa study (22,018 students; 9,652 teachers; and 276 principals), it was found that 64 percent of the students eligible for special education services were categorized as learning disabled and that students with special education labels were at greater risk to fail in school than students not so labeled. (DB)

The article discusses problems that may arise in relation to identification, evaluation, Individualized Education Programs, related services, and due process protection for inmates eligible for special education. Problems include failure to identify and evaluate adequately and issues related to discipline, suspension, and exclusion. (Author/CL)

The paper explores data interpretation in observational recording by examining and illustrating techniques for visually inspecting graphically displayed data. These procedures may assist the educator in determining the impact of intervention procedures on learner performance. (Author/CL)

The article describes a participatory, problem-solving systems change model appropriate for school programs serving handicapped children which consists of five phases through which an agency proceeds to institute change: entry, mobilization, planning, implementation, and review. A case study shows the application of the systems change model in a…