Establishing a process for identifying evidence-based practices (EBPs) in special education has been a significant advance for the field because it has the potential for generating more effective educational programs and producing more positive outcomes for students with disabilities. However, the potential benefit of EBPs is bounded by the…

The intent of this study was to examine how a theoretically-designed subject in an undergraduate teacher education course impacted on the learning and confidence of pre-service teachers in catering for the needs of students with diverse needs. The subject design utilised theoretical principles of self-organisation that were incorporated with the…

In the generative classroom, teachers provide well-designed learning environments that result in the combination, recombination, and reorganization of repertoires such that new untaught repertoires are likely to occur. One component that can contribute to such generativity is Precision Teaching (PT), a frequency building instructional…

The review describes the advance organizer technique and reviews the empirical evidence on the effectiveness of advance organizers with both normal students and students classified as handicapped. Examples of advance organizers include the expository advance organizer, the comparative advance organizer, the graphic advance organizer, and…

This article summarizes and analyzes 43 pieces of professional literature pertaining to paraprofessional supports for students with disabilities published between 1991 and 2000. The findings identify topical gaps in the literature, review the major data based findings, and present implications for the field. Suggestions for future research stress…

This report reviews the current status, empirical findings, theoretical issues, and practical considerations related to state-level minimum competency testing programs. It finds that, although two-thirds of current testing programs now use direct writing prompts to assess writing achievement, essentially all programs rely on multiple choice tests…

Two developments are described with particular significance for the instruction of exceptional students in regular education settings: (1) the articulation of a collaborative consultation model of educational service delivery, and (2) research advances in instructional effectiveness. The article merges these two developments in a discussion of…

This article presents the goals, philosophy, and theory of the Direct Instruction model. The theory stresses the learning of generalizations with multiple examples through a highly structured curriculum. Connections between theory and practice are illustrated with a variety of examples of thinking operations from Direct Instruction programs.…

This paper reviews inclusive education research evidence and needs of British students with disabilities, considering the development of inclusive practices, special educational needs and disability models, and the values underlying inclusion. It urges rigorous research to inform policy and practice on the rights of children and the effectiveness…

The paper describes the Behaviorally Anchored Supervision System (BASS), an approach to supervision in special education based on the definition of effective instruction developed by the Council for Exceptional Children in 1986. A comprehensive model for excellence in special education is based upon the following four elements: values,…

Curriculum-based assessment (CBA) represents a shift from use of standardized tests as quantifiers of student achievement toward traditional data-based instructional management. The role of assessment in educational programs is explored through presentation of three contrasting perspectives: assessment for placement versus assessment for…

The article examines how theoretical perspectives or model-views affect the delivery of special education services and influence the course of applied research with handicapped individuals. Underlying principles of major model orientations are discussed. Adoption of a model orientation that can document efficacy of interventions and ensure equal…

This paper identifies nine lessons learned from five federally funded special education research to practice projects. Four projects are school-university collaborative partnerships and one is local-school- based. Both models stress research-validated practices to improve performance of students with and without disabilities across multiple years.…

The report examines key questions surrounding cognitive and metacognitive strategy instruction for disabled learners as a concept and in practice. The first three sections provide background information about cognitive and metacognitive strategies by defining terms, by discussing their relevance to special education populations, and by summarizing…

This conference paper identifies and describes practices which appear to be associated with successful schooling of students in heterogeneous groupings. Fundamental characteristics of heterogeneous public schools include actualization of the "zero reject" principle and implementation of exemplary educational practices from both general and special…