This Head Start On-Site Program Review Instrument (OSPRI) is used to monitor and evaluate Head Start Programs to verify basic compliance with program standards. OSPRI contains Head Start Performance Standards, Performance Standards on Services to Children with Disabilities, and specific program regulations in the areas of recruitment,…

The General Accounting Office examined the effectiveness of the vocational rehabilitation program administered by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) in helping disabled veterans obtain and maintain employment. Data were obtained from the following sources: analysis of the VA's nationwide database on all program applicants and their progress;…

This report is intended to provide ideas to assist professionals and students in the exploration of tangible symbols for intervention purposes in working with visually capable individuals with disabilities. The first section provides an overview of tangible symbols and discusses the differences between tangible symbols and tangible objects, when…

This literature review examines whether verifiable evidence supports the supposition that early interventions result in better child developmental outcomes than later interventions for disadvantaged children with disabilities. First, existing reviews of the literature on the "earlier is better" supposition were examined. Second, a meta analysis on…

This study compared math and reading achievement in the fifth grades of two suburban elementary schools, one which utilized a traditional approach of pull-out special education classrooms and the other which utilized an inclusion program for special education services. The Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) was used to measure the math…

This survey of 50 states and 3 of 10 non-state U.S. jurisdictions concerning state due process procedures focuses mainly on the use of mediation as a form of dispute resolution that offers an alternative to due process hearings in special education. A background section discusses the definition of mediation and the mediation process. Survey…

This digest, based on a longer document titled "Alcohol and Other Drugs: Use, Abuse, and Disabilities" by Peter E. Leone, addresses the following questions: (1) "Are students with disabling conditions more likely to use or abuse alcohol or other drugs than their peers?" (usually a "no" response); (2) "Are…

This document is a transcript of a workshop on planning and constructing performance-based evaluations for project directors of transition programs for students with disabilities. It provides background information on the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) and presents strategies for implementing and managing a performance-based plan.…

Three examples of successful integration efforts in England are presented. Springfield Junior School in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, originally comprised three separate institutions--an ordinary junior school, a special unit for children with severe learning difficulties, and a special unit for children with moderate learning difficulties. The three…

The purpose of this study was to follow up two previous studies on the vocational rehabilitation needs of American Indians with disabilities and the effectiveness of projects authorized by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title 1, Part D, Section 130 to meet those needs. A self-evaluative questionnaire was developed and mailed to the project…

This paper presents the testimony concerning special education reform and inclusion programs of the Director of Education and Employment Issues before a House of Representatives subcommittee. The speaker concludes that inclusion programs can work (as in districts in California, Kentucky, New York, and Vermont) but take tremendous effort and…

The Learning Enhancement for Adults with Disabilities (LEAD 2000) project was undertaken at Jones Learning Center of the University of the Ozarks to build a knowledge base regarding the literacy and learning needs of adults with learning disabilities (LDs) and to develop a pragmatic action plan to meet those needs. Information for the knowledge…

The 1988-89 annual report presents fourth year activities and findings of 17 longitudinal studies (begun in 1986) on the effects and costs of early intervention with handicapped children. Major activities of this year focused on management of individual studies, recruitment of sites, and development of procedural refinements. For each of the…

The Interdependent Support Service Model, a 3 year project operated by the Hennepin Technical Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota) was designed to evaluate and program for communication and motor needs of severely/profoundly handicapped students and to develop related inservice training for staff. First year activities included modifying existing…

The demand for long term care is growing as the population in need of services becomes older and frailer, and as the nature of the family, the economy, and the health care system changes. To investigate the long term care system, its characteristics, trends, financing, policies, availability, and quality of care, 700 health care professionals,…