A summary and highlight of the significant developments, major accomplishments and important research findings of the three years of operation of the Honolulu Buddy System Project is contained in this document. In addition, the implications that the research data have generated, along with further directions to be explored are included. Most…

Papers contributed by authors prominent in educational innovation and technology are in this collected work. The authors do not always agree, but a broad pattern of agreement is discernible. They agree on the identification of those major problems confronting the schools today as a result of the new social forces at work; and generally, they agree…

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…

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…

The parent-school relationship for families of students with disabilities is clearly prescribed by law and is one of the main tenets of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 2004 (Newman, Cameto, & Hernandez, 2005). The measurement of this relationship presents a challenge in the context of what is meaningful participation,…

Administrators in public schools are undoubtedly familiar with their duties under federal law to serve students with disabilities in the educational program. Far fewer, however, are aware of their legal obligations to these same students in after-school athletics and extracurricular activities. Are students with disabilities entitled to…

Since 1998 there has been a dramatic increase in children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), resulting in an estimated prevalence of 1 in 150 children. Federal law requires schools to educate children with ASD in the least restrictive environment, increasing the number of children with ASD in regular classrooms. Teacher preparation…

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…