Emphasizing the constructivist principles of voice, collaboration, and inclusion, this paper discusses the influence of constructivism across the interrelated levels of reform: structural reforms in school organization, pedagogical reforms in classrooms, and development of school-linked human service systems. It concludes with a political-economic…

This paper reports on the outcomes of the first in a series of three systematic literature reviews in inclusive education. The aims include establishing what research has been undertaken in the area of effective pedagogical approaches to enable children with special educational needs to be included in mainstream classrooms, synthesising themes in…

The monograph summarizes findings of effective schools research, information on the characteristics of effective classrooms, and descriptions of the methodological and conceptual issues related to school improvement projects. The impact of the school effectiveness literature on classroom instruction is discussed, and implications for the…

This document reports on the background, purpose and proceedings of a policy forum entitled, "High Quality Inclusion Opportunities for Preschool-Age Children with Disabilities," held on December 13-15, 2004. Project Forum at the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) convened this policy forum as part of its…

Thirty-seven leading educators participated in a Delphi technique survey regarding future directions in education of students with disabilities, focusing on inclusion and integration, labeling and classification, personnel preparation, instruction and services, and research. Respondents predicted that increasing inclusion will occur, and teachers…

This issue of a quarterly publication for school principals discusses the role of principals in providing inclusive education for all students, including those with disabilities. It offers practical information on the following topics: goals in meeting the needs of special education students; effective principal behaviors in leading special…

The purpose of this study was to investigate building administrators knowledge, disposition, and performance competencies for technology integration for students with mild/moderate (M/M) disabilities. A total of 106 administrators participated in the study, completing a four-section questionnaire. One-way between-subjects designs were used, and…

This article explains principles of using a structured portfolio framework with elementary education majors in a special education survey course. Emphasis is on using portfolios to build positive attitudes toward working constructively with families of children with disabilities. Portfolio components are explained, students' opinions on portfolios…

This document reports on the design, purpose, implementation, and outcomes of a policy forum entitled "Inclusion and the Role of Special Education in Restructuring: Focus on Language Minority Students" held in September 1994. Participants included representatives from the research and public school communities as well as from relevant offices of…

This paper looks at why there are so few teacher researchers and how such professionals can be encouraged, in the light of the reform movement in both general and special education which demands that teachers take on new roles including that of researcher. Institutions of higher education are urged to show their respect for research by teaching…

The special educator's role and training is discussed within the context of current efforts by British schools to comply with the Education Reform Act and the National Curriculum. The close relationship between the process and content of learning and between styles of learning and learning outcomes is stressed. Individual sections address the…

This document presents the program and proceedings of a national forum on new students with disabilities and includes abstracts of presentations by 22 institutions as well as specific conference information. The following institutions are represented: (1) Algonquin College (Ontario, Canada), (2) Austin Peay State University (Tennessee), (3)…

This text, intended for school principals and others, provides an overview of the inclusion movement. Chapter 1, "The Context: How Far Have We Come and Where Are We Going?" (Patrick J. Schloss) provides the historical and legal context in which the concept of inclusion evolved. Key terms are defined, and the benefits of inclusion for students with…

This final report presents the results of an 18-month Connecticut symposia project to confront the difficult issues facing special education and to meet those challenges through a collaborative systemic change process. The project goal, objectives, and implementation procedures are specified, and background information on five targeted topics is…

This resource book serves as a bibliography and a directory of information sources and educational/rehabilitation service providers for all categories of disabilities. The book was developed for use by individuals in the 11 state hospitals and developmental centers in California. The resource guide's scope includes: agencies, software, videotapes,…