Addresses the lack of counseling services for parents of disabled children. Describes a cooperative, school-based program which uses parents as facilitators for helping other parents understand the Individualized Education Program process. (ABB)

The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) has been tracking and analyzing state policies on assessment participation and accommodations since 1992. The purpose of the current analysis is to update information on these policies that was last reported by NCEO in 2002 (based on 2001 data). The current analysis of states' 2003 participation…

To help special education planning teams reach agreements, several State Education Agencies (SEAs) provide the option of facilitated Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. The use of externally facilitated IEP meetings is growing nationally. When relationships between parents and schools are strained, facilitated meetings may be…

This guide focuses on ways that parents and teachers can help students with disabilities become involved in developing their own Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). The guide is organized into lesson plans for use in classrooms. A section on "Laying the Foundation" offers five preparatory suggestions, such as photocopying each…

This paper is intended to assist school districts in Florida in the implementation of the 1999 Sunshine State Standards for Special Diploma. First, the specific state rules related to student performance standards, course descriptions, and graduation requirements are cited. Twenty-five questions and answers present the guidelines, which address:…

This document presents North Dakota guidelines to help transitions of young children with disabilities. It identifies two critical service delivery transitions for these children: first, when the child enters early childhood special education services (ECSE) and second, when the child exits those services. Following an introduction, there is a…

This practicum was designed to assist 13 newly hired special education teachers to function more effectively. Data indicated that newly hired teachers, who were non-certified teachers, teachers who were certified but working out of their area of certification, and first year teachers, did not know how to work with children with special needs,…

The Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (the State Board) is responsible for the assurance of a free appropriate public education to all students with disabilities - ages three through twenty-one years, including students with disabilities who have been suspended or expelled from school - and, at the discretion of the local…

The comprehensive nature of the Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975 is why educators question its applicability to the United States Pacific Territories. The components of the act are viewed against a framework of the territories' traditional cultural values and current economic needs. (Author/TLJ)

Discusses the purposes of student grades, including those driven by Individualized Education Programs. Grading options to ensure objectivity, fairness, and accountability for students with diverse needs are suggested. Types of tests available and possible adaptations are described. School districts are urged to create a grading policy that is…

Evidence from Arizona and other states demonstrates that children with disabilities lack equal access to charter schools. Charter school operators are avoiding potentially high-cost students and are unprepared to meet their needs. Charter schools need to strike cooperative resource-sharing arrangements with neighboring districts. States must…

This article provides information about the roles and responsibilities of physical therapists, occupational therapists, therapeutic recreation specialists, and adapted physical educators working with students with disabilities. Examples are provided of individualized education programs that combine the expertise of these professionals. Examples of…

The article examines the parent-teacher partnership, stressing the importance of both parent and teacher input. Five suggestions for involving parents of handicapped students in the Individualized Education Program meeting are offered and include asking parents before the meeting to think of short- and long-term goals for the child. (DB)

Special educators are urged to prepare for the increasing numbers of children disabled due to maternal drug use. Encouraged are interagency coordination, increased data collection, personnel preparation, renewed emphasis on "child find" and individualized education programs, and overcoming political resistance to service expansions. (DB)

This analysis of parents' procedural due process rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act examines the 1982 case of Hendrick Hudson Central School District Board of Education versus Rowley and reviews principles concerning parental rights, parental notification, procedural errors, the Individualized Education Program conference…