This report discusses the outcomes of a June 11-12, 1999, forum that addressed alternative assessments and gray areas in large-scale assessments for students with disabilities. The forum included 161 representatives from 42 state departments of education, 3 large school districts, 1 territory, and the Department of Defense Dependent Schools. Five…

Part of a series on contemporary school reform and special education, this report discusses how states are building capacity for standards-based reform. An introduction describes seven key areas in which states must build classroom and organizational level capacities, including: (1) teachers' knowledge, skills, and dispositions; (2) students'…

This guide to including children with special needs in community programs in New Jersey begins with a history of the inclusion movement, stressing the importance of personal experiences and beliefs and ways in which inclusion benefits everyone. The following chapter provides answers to 32 frequently asked questions on successful inclusion of…

This guide discusses the participation of students with disabilities in the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), the state's student testing program that is being implemented in response to the Education Reform Law of 1993. The statewide assessment program is designed to strengthen public education in Massachusetts and ensure that…

This newsletter issue reviews the research and literature on issues and best practices in programs to facilitate the transition of students with disabilities to adult life. First, the definition of transition services under the 1997 Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is presented and explained. Next, a…

Federal Medicaid long-term care regulations do not require states to offer home and community-based service (HCBS) alternatives; rather, they are offered at the discretion of each state. The two most significant Medicaid HCBS programs are the Medicaid 1915(c) HCBS waiver programs and the Medicaid Title XIX personal care services (PCS) optional…

This final report discusses the outcomes of Project STEPS (Sequenced Transition to Education in the Public Schools), an outreach project designed to provide training and technical assistance to states and territories in the development of a statewide transition system for children with disabilities, birth through 5 years of age. The focus of the…

This paper offers a conceptual and technical framework for examining alternative approaches for funding special education. The paper discusses fundamental policy questions that guide the selection of an appropriate funding approach, presents criteria for evaluating funding formulas, and analyzes alternative approaches for their fiscal and…

Information concerning implementation of Individualized Transition Plans (ITP) was collected from 46 states and analyzed to determine documentation used in transition planning, relationship between the ITP and Individualized Education Programs, age for beginning transition planning, individuals involved in transition planning, and issues addressed…

This survey of 51 state directors of special education and 50 state certification officers found that, although states offering categorical certification alone outnumber those offering only noncategorical certification, there is wide variation among states and a trend toward noncategorical models. Recommendations emphasizing interagency…

Respondents from 49 state education agencies completed a survey describing state-level implementation of transition services for youth with disabilities. All states used technical assistance and cross-disciplinary training as their primary systems-change strategies and the majority of states viewed these strategies as effective. Relatively few…

Synthesizes discussions that occurred among a consortium of professionals responsible for the evaluation of early-intervention programs and highlights issues emerging from state-level evaluations of early-intervention programs in the context of six different areas: measures, outcomes, service integration, eligibility, funding models, and cost…

A study of 13 national and state data collection programs examined the exclusion of students with disabilities from data collection programs evaluating student educational outcomes. Eight recommendations are offered for improving the collection and reporting of information in state and national data collection programs. (Author/CR)

This article examines how states are responding to requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for development of large-scale alternate assessment and accountability of learners with significant disabilities. It stresses the need for a deliberate process that focuses on achieving meaningful outcomes within the context of…

This qualitative policy study of 6 states and 12 school districts identified 6 factors that influenced implementation of least restrictive environment provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Factors included financing, the state-local context, organization, advocacy, implementors, and knowledge and values. The study…