This final report describes activities and achievements of a project that examined issues in development of coordinated services systems as encouraged by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) amendments of 1997. It identifies and discusses 27 coordinated services policy and implementation considerations within nine areas. Examples…

A nationwide study was conducted to examine the trend toward or away from noncategorical teacher certification in special education, as well as patterns and limits of existing state certification systems. Responses from both State Directors of Special Education and State Certification Officers were obtained at a rate of 100% and 98% respectively.…

This practical manual provides useful, concrete ideas and suggestions to help public libraries make libraries more accessible to persons with disabilities. Most suggestions are for persons who have difficulty with mobility. Reviews of pertinent laws and regulations are followed by concrete, step-by step suggestions for planning for accessibility,…

This fifth annual report describes activities of Colorado's Statewide system of services and supports in compliance with Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The report notes an increasing emphasis on the following: values-oriented planning with extensive family involvement, interagency coordination, coordinated…

This resource guide on services available for students with disabilities at Florida's public universities begins with a summary of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a list of recognized disability categories, regulations concerning the provision of auxiliary learning aids, and Florida statutes concerning postsecondary education of…

This New York state plan provides a framework for promoting full opportunities for all individuals with disabilities in both the workplace and the community. It is a legal compact which describes the nature, scope, and conditions of the state's program and ensures that program administration will conform to federal legislation and regulations. The…

This report evaluates the Quality Education Initiative (QEI) evaluation system developed in Pennsylvania to monitor and report progress of individual programs or sites serving students with and without disabilities. The system has three parts: a Program Documentation Outline (PDO), a Program Reporting Outline (PRO), and a Program Improvement…

This hearing, held in Brooklyn, New York, on the reauthorization of the early intervention and preschool programs of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, addresses the at-risk factors that prevent school readiness of young children and seeks to ascertain the extent to which at-risk children have been identified and served. A statement…

This report is an analysis of available data on the participation of people with disabilities in the nation's Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs. Covering program year 1989, this report includes information about people with disabilities served by JTPA in every service delivery area (SDA) in the country. The narrative section briefly…

The report synthesizes findings of seven studies on educational processes and outcomes of students with special needs in the State of Washington. Studies include a statewide assessment, statewide teacher survey, analysis of participation in categorical programs, evaluation of individual categorical programs, an investigation of an innovative…

The report and an accompanying executive summary of a statewide needs assessment on young handicapped children in Iowa examine services available, effectiveness of services, and needed changes. The introduction provides an overview of State Planning Grants, Iowa's history of early childhood special education, and this project's approach to…

This report describes recent gains in support for the movement to allow parents to choose the public school which their children attend. Reasons for the movement's growth and methods of implementing school choice plans are presented. The paper then focuses specifically on interdistrict school choice plans, identifying major aspects which are…

This report provides general information and statistics about the State of Iowa's children and current children's programs administered by state agencies. Indicating the need for children's programs, the report lists statistical evidence for child abuse, foster care, deaths of children, disabilities and special education, delinquency, substance…

The report updates aspects of the 1977 report on California's Master Plan for Special Education. Reasons are sought for the intense debate over state funding for special education, which has substantially increased over recent years while special education enrollments have increased only modestly. In visits to nearly 100 local education agencies,…

To assist state policy makers concerning elementary and secondary special education, this handbook assembles information on what states have experienced and what research has found about special education funding, cost and service changes, and funding source management. Chapter 1 considers defining student eligibility for special education,…