The final report of a 2-year study by the Commission on Non-Traditional Study (sponsored by the College Entrance Examination Board and the Educational Testing Service), the book deals with lifelong learning, external degrees, institutional reshaping, and educational alternatives. Suggestions and recommendations of the commission reflect the…

The Porter Elementary School in Syracuse, New York introduced individually prescribed instruction (IPI) for its kindergarten through 6th grade pupils, most of whom came from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Student individual differences relating to social background physical and personality development, intellectual capacity, and school…

A computer-assisted, competency-based instructional model has been developed for a teacher education program. It is based on the assumptions that individuals should control their own lives and that technology should be used to expand the range of human choice. The model uses a systems approach to organize the human, curricular and environmental…

This study of a role change intervention, a type of cross-age tutoring, was conducted as a "true" experiment. Forty tutors from four low-achieving ninth-grade general math classes and 68 tutees from three fourth-grade classes were randomly selected. The classes were in inner city schools in which about ninety percent of the students were black and…

The success that youth with disabilities achieve in school can be influenced by access to a range of services that support their education goals. As part of its mandate, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA '97) requires the provision of related services and supports to students with disabilities who are deemed…

Background: Judgements about students' competence influence the goals of their individualised education programs (IEPs), the location of service delivery, and their placement in general education (GE) as opposed to special education (SE) classes. The purpose of this study was to describe how presumed competence to learn the GE curriculum was…

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) "Special Education at a Glance," which includes a copy of the "Guide to Planning and Assessing School-Based Special Education Programs," provides in a single document, information about the special education population at each Montgomery County (Maryland) public school, including…

This booklet offers a humorous perspective on important guidelines for developing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities which respect the values of collaboration, student and family leadership, and full inclusion. Humorous section titles and cartoons illustrate important principles: "Developing an IEP Shouldn't Be…

This paper describes highlights of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that have a high impact on the delivery of special education services. IDEA's eight parts are outlined, and then two parts are discussed in more detail: (1) Part B, which authorizes federal grants to states to help underwrite the costs of educating children…

The use of goal-based assessment in adult literacy programs is described as an alternative to traditional assessment procedures that do not adequately address needs of adult learners. An Exploration Team involves the adult learner in all four dimensions of literacy learning: practices, strategies and interests, perceptions, and goals. The…

A five-phase study was conducted to evaluate all major computer systems used in writing IEPs (individualized education programs) in California. A "manual" sample composed of four Special Education Local Planning Agencies (SELPAs) that did not use computers was surveyed and responses compared with SELPAs that did use computers. An analysis of…

The paper addresses problems and strategies for evaluating mainstreamed students in vocational education classes. In addition to grading concerns, the area of graduation requirements is also considered. Alternatives to traditional methods of evaluation, including competencey based evaluation and adaptation of assessment techniques are described as…

A skills center can help students who are not able to demonstrate appropriate mastery level skills in reading and mathematics. The Girard school system (Kansas) has had two skills centers operating successfully since 1975. Individualized methods combined with group interaction are used to accommodate individuality and different learning styles.…

The guidelines focus on procedures for determining eligibility for services of children with specific learning disabilities. A 13-step process is delineated from the classroom teacher's response to individual learner needs through multifactored evaluation team function to annual review and reevaluation. Throughout the process, special emphasis is…

Admission policies and practices for state-operated residential schools for the deaf were studied following the full implementation of Public Law 94-142. Questionnaires were returned by 56 school administrators representing 93 percent of the total number of residential schools for the deaf in the United States. Results include the following: 1)…