Most of the principals (82 percent) considered the most effective placement to be a combination of regular class and part-time special education. Only 6.4 percent regarded full-time regular class as most effective, while 10.1 percent favored full-time special class placement. (DB)

The decision to mainstream a child into the least restrictive environment opens up a variety of possibilities. The author surveys the mainstreaming options available in public schools, ranging from regular class placement to custodial care. (Part of a theme issue on mainstreaming.) (Editor/SJL)

A survey of 43 early childhood special-education administrators in California found the programs for infants tended to be home-based, preschoolers with mild disabilities were frequently fully included, and preschoolers with severe disabilities and low-incidence disabilities were more often partially included or placed in special classes only.…

An independent audit of the San Diego (California) special education department was commissioned to examine: (1) whether programs exceed mandates of federal and state law, (2) whether the district has maximized funding sources in reporting programs and costs; and (3) whether alternative service delivery models or community interagency…

A study of the reintegration of 382 severely emotionally disturbed/behaviorally disordered students (preschool through secondary) into less restrictive programs revealed that the expected continuum of services (most to least restrictive) were reversed. The predominant placement was full integration, followed in descending order by resource and…

This paper compares segregated, integrated, and community-based environments for instructing students with severe, multiple handicaps. Advantages and disadvantages are reviewed, recommendations for selection of suitable instructional environments are offered, and essential criteria for the evaluation of instruction in the various environments are…

This study examined the prevalence of different program models for early childhood special education services (ECSE) to children with disabilities, ages 3-5, in Iowa. The degree to which children in ECSE programs received special education services in settings with their peers who did not have disabilities was also investigated. The study sample…

This study investigated initial placements, current placements, and stability of placements for 2,643 graduates of special education preschool programs for children (ages 3-4 years) with developmental disabilities from 74 New Mexico school districts during the first 5 years of such programming (1986-87 to 1990-91). Major findings were that 10% of…

Seven models of inclusion for deaf children are briefly described: (1) residential programming; (2) residential/public school split; (3) public school programming with a residential component; (4) contained classroom programming; (5) class within a class; (6) integration plus resource; and (7) integration with monitoring. Roles of teachers,…

The study examined state-to-state variability in the use of alternative placements for disabled students ages 6-17 during school year 1986-87, including the extent to which students were placed in settings apart from the regular education environment. Data submitted annually to the Office of Special Education Programs (U.S. Department of…

Provisions for gifted student identification and educational programming in Australia, the USSR, Venezuela, Brazil, Indonesia, Israel, and the Peoples Republic of China, and the United Kingdom are discussed. Concern for locating and serving the gifted is apparent in all these countries. Issues and program efforts in gifted education are quite…

The Texas Education Agency bulletin examines aspects of physical education for students with handicaps. Following a statement of philosophy, the guidelines address the following topics: assessment (characteristics of motor assessment instruments); the developmental program plan (program organization, descriptors and skills for essential elements);…

The handbook for parents of gifted students in Virginia provides basic State guidelines and lists resources. The state definition of gifted students is given and the six areas of giftedness specifically defined. Typical characteristics of the gifted child are briefly listed. Gifted identification procedures are outlined including referral,…

First-year data from a longitudinal investigation of over 1,100 children receiving different types of gifted services or regular instruction indicated significant differences in achievement levels, self-concepts, and teacher ratings of students selected for different services, with achievement fostered by special school and class options and…

The study compared available placements, related services, and teacher qualifications for severely handicapped students in rural and urban areas of 190 school districts in 46 states. The effects of two predictor variables, percentage of urban population and median family income, on the following dependent variables were examined: student…