Traditionally in education, particularly in elementary education, curriculum areas such as PE, Art, and Music have been labeled with the commonly known term "specials." In many cases, this term has simply meant that these classes include "extra" content that enhances the school's overall academics when time is allowed. This…

Gifted education programs are diverse with respect to their structure and foci. This diversity is reflective of the field itself. With this large, multi-state study, we surveyed practices employed in elementary schools (N = 1,548). Differences were observed in the implementation mechanics of English and mathematics curriculum. Interrelationships…

Recent research has shown that implementation of innovative programs at the classroom level continues to be a major challenge. The purpose of this study was to examine the types of modifications made during implementation of two curriculum units in two different setting types (i.e., self-contained, pull-out) to identify areas that should be…

The purpose of the study was to explore the current perceptions of adults who were enrolled in the gifted program of the St. Louis Public Schools in the fall of 1959 or spring of 1960. At this time in history the Cold War was a reality and the U.S. enacted the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) to find talented young people and give them the…

Reverse mainstreaming (integrating sighted children into a special class) can be an effective approach with visually impaired elementary students, both in terms of academic benefits (such as increased individualized instruction for sighted students) and social benefits (including a greater understanding of blindness). (CL)

The Potentially Able Learner's Program in Rockford, Illinois, is a centralized gifted program for students (K-6). The program features self-contained grade-level groupings and emphasis on parent involvement. Evaluation is gathered through achievement testing, parent questionnaires, and student self-report. (CL)

Data were collected for 2,752 students from 22 school districts in two states. In one state, approximately 30 percent of the graduates were placed in regular classrooms while in the other state, 16 percent were found in regular classrooms. Approximately 80 percent of severely disabled preschool graduates were placed in self-contained special…

Elementary-age children (Nequals20) diagnosed as learning disabled were assessed. It was concluded that regular classroom instruction alone may be insufficient for mainstreamed children with learning disabilities and that supplemental programming seems necessary if prior rates of academic learning are to be maintained. (Author)

Reanalysis of data from a study of the activities of 59 regular elementary students vis-a-vis the Individualized Education Program process and mainstreaming of handicapped students examined practices in which nonhandicapped students were regularly sent to special education classrooms for reasons including instruction and social integration. (CL)

Results indicated that, on the whole, social interactions among behaviorally disordered elementary Ss were both positive and reciprocial in nature. In addition, no discernible differences were noted between the target-initiated social behavior of high- and low-status students. Specific differences were found in peer social behavior directed toward…

The study examined the social status of 43 elementary grade learning disabled (LD) students who, though based in special classes, joined regular classes up to 18 periods per week. Findings indicated both lower acceptance and lower rejection, suggesting that the LD students are simply not known to their regular class peers. (Author/DB)

Self concepts of 102 gifted fourth grade children assessed prior to gifted class placement were systematically higher than those of 92 subjects assessed after beginning the program. A significant interaction between time of assessment and IQ was found. (CL)

Competency statements were rated by 96 teachers of elementary hearing impaired students in nonintegrated residential and integrated public school settings. Four domains of competence (instruction; professional awareness; working with, educating, and guiding others; and interpersonal skills) were distinctively and consistently identified by…

This observational study compared instructional context, teacher behavior, and engaged behavior for 15 students with severe disabilities in general elementary classrooms and 15 similar students in self-contained classrooms. Students in general classrooms received more instruction through academic than functional activities and received more…

A study of six gifted elementary students found that students in the homogeneous gifted class showed a greater increase in the number of control functions performed by the mind-machines they proposed, offered descriptions of their machines which were longer, more sophisticated, and more creative, and leap-frogged off of each others' ideas.…