Dyslexia is a neurologically-based, lifelong condition that affects a person's ability to process language, which in turn can make reading and writing more difficult. Between 10 and 20 percent of all people are dyslexic. Providing appropriate reading instruction and intervention for young children by second grade could reduce the percentage of…

Even as research continues to suggest the potential of assistive technology for improving student outcomes, it remains under-utilized in schools. Among numerous challenges to the effective utilization of assistive technology, research has suggested that educators are inadequately prepared to consider and implement the use of such technologies. In…

This article, intended to inform educators on how to use iPad apps for literacy development for young children with developmental disabilities, briefly reviews the literature on iPad apps for literacy development, examines key apps for literacy development for children with developmental disabilities, and discusses how to incorporate iPad apps…

Since the middle of the last century, student education in the U.S. public school systems has been deemed inadequate. Critics developed measures in the form of standardized testing to measure student progress in an attempt to help facilitate reforms. In the last thirty years, the federal government has played an increasing role in school reform…

Discusses the changing role and responsibilities of reading teachers and reading specialists in helping to plan and implement the Individualized Education Program (IEP) requirement of Public Law 94-142. (MKM)

In 1997, the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandated that students with disabilities have access to the general education curriculum. Access means more than being exposed to language arts, math, and science; access means academic progress. In addition, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 requires that all students have…

The individualized reading approach, which features independent activities and individual conferences with children, is described in terms of specific areas of need when used with disabled students including systematic progress checks and Individualized Education Program accountability. Advantages and disadvantages of the approach are noted. (CL)

The handbook presents guidelines and suggestions for the use with handicapped students of the cloze procedure, a method for systematically deleting words from a prose passage and evaluating the reader's success in supplying them. Chapter 1 considers the use of the cloze procedures for assessment purposes and notes the differences between cloze…

Offers an integrative model for mainstreaming handicapped children into reading classrooms. Discusses nondiscriminatory assessment, the development of individualized education programs, and the factors to emphasize in implementing mainstreaming. (FL)

Accommodations play a key role in enabling individuals with disabilities to participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and other large-scale assessments. However, it can be difficult to know how accommodations affect the validity of results, thus making it difficult to determine which accommodations should be allowed.…

This guide provides practical and specific step-by-step methods for developing and using curriculum-based assessment (CBA) in an educational setting. It is organized into six basic skills chapters. Chapter 1, "Assessment: An Overview" (Carroll J. Jones), includes the basic reasons for assessment and types of special education assessment, as well…

This booklet is part of a series of seven booklets designed to introduce aspects of effective reading instruction that should be considered when teaching reading to students with disabilities. It focuses on essential skill building and teaching activities related to developing a child's use of phonics, or the ability to use the sounds of letters…

To support K-12 students with significant disabilities and get an accurate picture of their skills and knowledge, schools need to implement effective alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS). This is the guidebook every team should have--not only to develop successful AA-AAS linked with grade-level content standards,…

This report provides an analysis and discussion of the participation and performance of eighth-grade students with disabilities on the 1996, 1997, and 1998 Minnesota Basic Standards Tests in Reading and Math. The data show significant increases in participation of students with and without disabilities. In particular, participation of students…

The transition to adult life for students with reading and writing challenges is an area that is not often addressed. The purpose of this article is to relate the informal assessment process to the broader context of high stakes assessment, high school exit exams, diploma options, and transition planning; identify the competencies needed for a…