In the 40+ years since the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was enacted, the law has changed the landscape for students with disabilities by opening the doors to public education, creating more inclusive classrooms, and holding schools accountable for results. In April 2018, AIR convened a working meeting of special education…

Achieve 3000 is an online differentiated reading program for students with disabilities and English Language Learners in grades 6-8. The software delivers differentiated assignments at 12 different reading levels. The software features internal assessments that continuously gauge students' reading levels, provides feedback to teachers, and…

As a result of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA; 1990), public school districts are required to provide appropriate services to preschool students who are at risk or who are experiencing developmental delays. These services are frequently offered in preschool programs for children with disabilities (PPCDs). PPCDs are generally…

Service-learning has become a popular method for connecting the theory taught in undergraduate methods courses with real-world practice in the field while also promoting volunteerism. It exposes undergraduates to relevant learning experiences and provides them with an opportunity to apply their skills in the service of others who are in need. One…

In this paper, the special needs/requirements of disabled students and cost-benefits for applying blended learning in Personalized Educational Learning Environments (PELE) in Higher Education are studied. The authors describe how blended learning can form an attractive and helpful framework for assisting Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (D-HH) students to…

In this paper, the authors address the question: what are skills, knowledge and professional dispositions that U.S. co-teachers need to balance the seemingly competing mandates of NCLB and IDEIA in order to prepare teachers for the classrooms of today and tomorrow? Based on the results of two recent studies that focused on secondary co-teacher…

The purpose of this publication is to share models and case examples of the process of inclusive arts curriculum design and evaluation. The first section explains the conceptual and curriculum frameworks that were used in the analysis and generation of the featured case studies (i.e. Understanding by Design, Differentiated Instruction, and…

Planning for infant intervention programs is the focus of the booklet. The approach rests on key principles, including family support, interagency cooperation, and individualization of early intervention services. Questions are raised for consideration in six topic areas: (1) planning (structure of planning process); (2) funding (legislative…

Proposes the use of Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) for evaluating Individualized Educational Programs (IEPs) that must be developed for all students classified as educationally handicapped. Explains the use of GAS in constructing attainment or outcome estimate goals for identified problem areas, and discusses its usefulness in planning, record…

The effectiveness of using 75 aides in special education classrooms in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was evaluated in terms of impact on students, classrooms, and staff. Interviews, record reviews, and survey research were used to collect data. Findings revealed that aides were perceived as having a positive impact on the children through more…

The Impact Evaluation Model (IEM) is designed to provide a sequence of steps and procedures which methodically leads to the assessment of the individualized educational plan for handicapped students. The document includes a description of the method, illustrations of its use, and selected examples of data gathering devices. Initial sections…

Procedures for individualizing inservice for special education personnel are outlined and described. Six steps are pictured in a flow chart and detailed in the test (sample substeps in parentheses): establish organized management (establish agency goals, prepare explicit job descriptions of personnel responsibilities); prepare and administer staff…

This report contains the results of the self-assessment and the validation of the self-assessment by Special Education Programs. The report addresses six principles: (1) General Supervision; (2) Free Appropriate Public Education; (3) Appropriate Evaluation; (4) Procedural Safeguards; (5) Individualized Education Program; and (6) Least Restrictive…

The monograph reports on a 3-year project to develop competencies in physical education teachers for dealing with mainstream exceptional students. Results of a survey of physical educators on the types of competencies needed to teach in mainstreamed settings are presented. Adjustments made to the undergraduate physical education program at State…

To the extent to which Connecticut is representative of other states, it can be concluded that the discrepancy between legislative enactment of Public Law 94-142 and organizational implementation may not be of extended duration. (Author/IRT)