This report describes the range of methods used by state education agencies to report special education information to the public and the challenges related to this reporting. It begins by reviewing the reporting requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and then reports the results of a…

This policy brief identifies and describes the provisions of the proposed regulation describing the responsibilities of a state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency to design and operate the state VR program as an integral component of the statewide workforce investment system, as envisioned by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). The…

This report reviews the current status, empirical findings, theoretical issues, and practical considerations related to state-level minimum competency testing programs. It finds that, although two-thirds of current testing programs now use direct writing prompts to assess writing achievement, essentially all programs rely on multiple choice tests…

This report discusses the results of a survey of 32 states and the Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DODDS) regarding the reevaluation of students who are classified as having a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It summarizes provisions governing reevaluation in IDEA, describes the methodology of the…

In 1993, Project FORUM issued a report (Ahearn, 1993) that provided information on resources available to states and districts in accessing Medicaid reimbursements for services for students with disabilities, a relatively new source of funding at that time. It is now over 10 years since Medicaid funds were approved for use for special education…

This paper outlines concerns relating to the inclusion of students with disabilities in state and district educational assessments and the provision of non-standard accommodations (NSAs). The major concerns are that: (1) the term "non-standard accommodation" is an oxymoron and muddies the issue; (2) NSAs change the plain meaning of words…

The purpose of the Illinois Technical Assistance and Dissemination Network is to provide technical assistance and resources to local school districts for the improvement of vocational education for special needs students. It includes an educational model designed to prevent the long-term personal and economic problems associated with youth…

The article compares the trends in special education in Oklahoma to that of the nation at large especially in the areas of numbers of students with learning disabilities, mainstreaming, least restrictive environment, community integration, transition, and early intervention. (DB)

The article describes Louisiana's approach to implementing Individualized Family Service Plans, including four model formats developed by early intervention service providers and families of young children with disabilities. Formats differ in the way the required elements are expressed, allowing application to the unique characteristics of…

Examines nationally collected data on the placement rates of students with disabilities across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Results indicate that some states have made significant progress toward serving students with disabilities in less restrictive settings, whereas others have made very little progress. (CR)

Discusses factors affecting the ability of states and local programs to seek and secure reimbursement for occupational and physical therapy services in early childhood programs. Cost concerns in early childhood are addressed, and strategies for ensuring programmatic success in securing reimbursement for such services are presented. (Author/CR)

A study compared the effects of different methods of analyzing trends to illustrate how failure to account for change in classification will lead to misinterpretation of data on the performance of students with disabilities. Data from five years of assessment in Texas is used to illustrate effects of classification changes. (Contains references.)…

In recent years, parents have benefited from a significant expansion of educational options for their children. Parents have many more opportunities than just a few years ago to choose from an array of public school options, including charter, virtual, and magnet schools. Expanding educational options for parents is one of the hallmarks of the…

The relationships between ratings on the Idaho Alternate Assessment (IAA) for 116 students with significant disabilities and corresponding ratings for the same students on two norm-referenced teacher rating scales were examined to gain evidence about the validity of resulting IAA scores. To contextualize these findings, another group of 54…

The National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) was assigned the task of compiling, analyzing and summarizing the data for Indicator 2--Dropout--from the FY2007 (2007-08 school year) Annual Performance Reports (APRs) and the revised State Performance Plans (SPPs), which were submitted to Office of Special Education…