This article examines the impacts of the Youth Transition Demonstration, an initiative of the Social Security Administration (SSA) to improve employment outcomes for youth with disabilities. Based on a random assignment design, the analysis uses data from a 1-year follow-up survey and SSA administrative records for 5,203 youth in six research…

The Social Security Administration is funding a random assignment evaluation of six demonstration projects to improve employment and other outcomes for youth ages 14 to 25 who are either receiving disability benefits or are at high risk of receiving them in the future. This report reviews the Youth Transition Demonstration (YTD) projects, located…

Purpose: To examine the impact of an experimental consumer-choice voucher benefit on the selection of independent and agency personal assistance services (PAS) providers among rural and urban Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities. Methods: The Medicare Primary and Consumer-Directed Care Demonstration enrolled 1,605 Medicare beneficiaries in 19…

This monograph provides a descriptive analysis of five grant programs funded by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) in 1984. The programs were designed to stimulate the improvement and development of programs for secondary special education and to strengthen and coordinate education, training, and related services…

The Teaching Research Infant and Child Center classrooms service moderately to profoundly handicapped preschool children by providing comprehensive individualized curriculums emphasizing self help, motor development, language, and cognitive skills. Each model classroom contains 12 children with a teacher and an aide, and utilizes volunteers and…

This report focuses on the seven original Youth Transition Demonstration (YTD) projects selected for funding in 2003. Three of the original seven projects were selected for a national random assignment evaluation in 2005; however, this report only focuses on program operations prior to joining the random assignment evaluation for the three…

Learning disabled, educable mentally retarded, trainable mentally retarded, and gifted students (fifth through eighth grade) participated in a supplemental computer-assisted project in the Farrell Middle School (Farrell, Pennsylvania) to improve students' skills in the areas of computation, concept development, problem solving, and application.…

Discussed is the development of the Educational Resources Center Model, a mainstreamed support services program for mildly handicapped (emotionally handicapped, physically handicapped, educable mentally retarded, or severely learning disabled) children in Jackson County, Oregon. Explained are the model's six components: a mainstreaming…

Preliminary data comparing individualized education program (IEP) development in three demonstration and three nondemonstration sites show that demonstration sites had significantly more individuals attending IEP meetings, more service options on the IEP, and more best-practice elements included in the IEP. Suggests that the demonstration site…

This final report describes the PEERS (Providing Education for Everyone in Regular Schools) Project, a 5-year collaborative systems change project in California to facilitate the integration of students with severe disabilities who were previously served at special centers into services at regular schools and the integration of students in special…

This paper presents an example of "optimistic research," a qualitative approach which focuses on positive interventions helpful to practitioners, in this case an examination of programs successfully integrating people with severe disabilities. The study evaluated 40 programs through site visits which focus on observation, interviews, and…

The final report details achievements and slippages of a model demonstration center which served 46 preschool handicapped children. Documented are milestones in such areas as direct and supplementary services to children (identification, evaluation); parent/family participation (large and small group meetings, individual parent participation);…

Success in competitive employment placement of a demonstration project serving 53 persons with developmental disabilities is associated with three factors: (1) training approach and methodology; (2) program management; and (3) trainee characteristics. (CL)

The book lists 47 exemplary programs for special education. Programs have been approved by the Joint Dissemination Review Panel of the Department of Education. The book begins with a directory of National Diffusion Network facilitators in 49 states, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands. Program entries include descriptors, a brief…