One of 16 units designed for use in an Open University course on the education of handicapped students in the United Kingdom, this booklet analyzes the contribution of research to progress in special education and examines the relationship between empirical knowledge and moral principles in making educational decisions. An introductory section…

The paper reviews the state of the art in evaluation research of direct instruction projects with handicapped students. The first section delineates research designs used (including norm referenced comparisons, nonequivalent comparison groups, and quasi experimental designs); major findings; and problems with each. A distinction is made between…

Analysis of 21 early intervention projects approved by the JDRP (Joint Dissemination Review Panel) revealed that the projects reflected stress on parent involvement, early intervention, and structured programing, and had demonstrated feasibility of early intervention and developed curriculum and assessment materials. The frequency of serious…

Identified are four major fallacies in Douglas Fuchs and Lynn Fuchs' critique of the Adaptive Learning Environments Model (ALEM) and the General Education Initiative (GEI): erroneous interpretations of the GEI, segregationism in the Fuchs' point of view, the research base of the ALEM, and readiness for the GEI. (JDD)

This paper refutes the arguments of Margaret Wang and Herbert Walberg in their support of the Adaptive Learning Environments Model (ALEM) and the General Education Initiative. It focuses on the small number of ALEM implementations and replications, weaknesses of the research and evaluations supporting ALEM, and other specific criticisms. (JDD)

This paper reviews both the content and the methodological issues involved in the small but growing number of empirical studies on the use of Direct Instruction programs and teaching procedures with special populations. The research reviewed includes experimental and quasi-experimental work, summative evaluations of entire programs, and…

An analysis of five funding competitions sponsored by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the area of secondary special education and transitional services research found that the projects have not emphasized community-level change to facilitate lasting improvements in youths with disabilities and have not taken a…

This commentary on a previous article that demonstrates three ways of analyzing qualitative interview data (content, cultural models, and narrative analyses), discusses the need for greater articulation of the complexities of interpretation and a greater emphasis on verification procedures in early intervention qualitative research. (CR)

This study determined whether experts in special education transition services perceived a need for a common theoretical model and core set of outcome variables for follow-along research at the state level, evaluated a model for use in follow-along studies, and suggested research questions to be measured in a common format across statewide…

This study examined the extent to which data are available for 77 indicators for all students, including students with disabilities, at the school completion level. Data managers from 36 states or territories reported that data are available for indicators in the Presence and Participation domain and the Contribution and Citizenship domain, but…

This report reviews the evidence for the effectiveness of different kinds of family support services, focusing on services in the United Kingdom, particularly for families who are disadvantaged or experiencing particular difficulties in their lives. The report also describes different evaluation methods and presents information on various measures…