Before a child receives special education or related services, he or she must have an evaluation. The evaluation will help determine if a child needs special education. A parent or a member of the school staff may make the request for an evaluation. The child's parent must give consent in writing for the first evaluation. The evaluation will…

When the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was reauthorized in 2004, one of the significant amendments concerned Individual Education Program (IEP) team attendance. A member of an IEP team may be excused if "the member's area of the curriculum or related services is not being modified or discussed in the meeting." The…

Public schools must make available special education and related services to all IDEA-eligible (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) students with disabilities beginning at age three and through age 18. Services to students, ages 19, 20, and 21, are permissive. That means the decision to serve 19, 20 and 21-year-old students is determined…

Although, in many districts, physical educators are integral members of the Individualized Education Program (designed for students with disabilities such as Down syndrome and autism), in other districts, physical educators are only partially involved in the process or are not given the opportunity to be involved at all. However, the physical…

Both law and pedagogy require that educators address behavior interfering with educational progress for students with disabilities. The reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA, 2004) and its predecessor, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 1997a), require individualized education program (IEP)…

This manual is designed to help parents learn how the special education system works in Pennsylvania and how parents can use the system to benefit their child. Chapters of the manual cover the student's right to: (1) a free appropriate public education; (2) pre-evaluation screening; (3) evaluations and re-evaluations; (4) an individualized…

Reactions of 12 parents, 25 teachers, and 11 administrators to various aspects of students' reading programs and progress in elementary school resource rooms throughout the year were investigated. Survey data were collected on participation, satisfaction, and clarity as part of a study that examined the effects of resource room teachers' use of a…

A 25-item questionnaire on special education decision making was completed by 70 elementary and secondary teachers to examine attitudes about current and preferred participation in planning, programming, and placement processes. Questionnaires touched upon teachers' personal information, class information, the special education referral process,…

This User's Manual is intended to accompany VOC-PLAN, a computer (Apple) program designed to assist in the preparation of an Individualized Vocational Education Program (IVEP) for handicapped, disadvantaged, or regular vocational secondary and postsecondary students. The program is presented in standard IEP (Individualized Education Program)…

The report of the House Committee on Education and Labor recommends passage of the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986, H.R. 5520. Contents include a discussion of the background and need for the legislation followed by an explanation of the proposed amendments, a section-by-section analysis, and the complete text. First, the bill…

The handbook reviews Wisconsin's use of the designated vocational instructor (DVI) in providing direct instructional support services for vocational educators and special education students enrolled in vocational education classes. DVIs facilitate cooperative relationships between special and vocational education at the local school level. Eight…

Assessment and decision-making practices of a national sample of 60 teachers serving handicapped preschool children were examined. Teachers were surveyed regarding the assessment information they and other professionals collect on their students and how they use it in educational programming. It was found that teachers used behavioral observations…

A project was conducted to create a handbook for consumer and homemaking education teachers in Georgia who deal with mainstreamed handicapped students. The handbook is intended to help teachers develop and implement effective individualized education programs and is designed to supplement the Georgia Curriculum Guide for Consumer and Homemaking…

The paper reviews policies of the state of Arkansas concerning high school graduation requirements and reports on a survey of individual school districts in Arkansas in regard to their policies concerning program modification, graduation requirements, and graduation documentation for secondary special education students. Data are presented for the…

This pamphlet is intended to inform both English and French speaking parents of handicapped children in New York State about rights and services of the special education program. Separate sections cover federal and state law, student assessment, individualized education program development under the committee for the handicapped, and parental…