This report presents an analysis of the results of a survey of State Directors of Special Education on their state mediation systems. It notes requirements under the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that a mediation process must be available to parents desiring its use in conflict resolution. This report…

This document is comprised of the 12 monthly issues of the 1998 "Child Support Report," which explores problems related to child support enforcement, reports on federal and state government child support enforcement initiatives, and summarizes research related to child support. Editorials and information on events and conferences of…

This document consists of 12 consecutive issues of the monthly "Centennial State Libraries" newsletter, of the Colorado Department of Education, State Library and Adult Education Office. The issues cover the year 1998. Each issue of the newsletter--except the August issue which is an Annual Report--includes some or all of the following…

The handbook provides parents of children with disabilities guidance on planning for the child's future needs with special attention to resources and laws of Iowa. Section 1 gives a Future Planning Checklist and definitions of common legal terms. Section 2 addresses estates, trusts, and wills and provides common estate planning questions and…

This training manual and statewide plan begins by describing the role of the Oklahoma State Department of Education, Library Resources/Technology Section as one of providing leadership, consultation, communication, and coordination in the systematic development of technology in Oklahoma school library media centers. Information about the Oklahoma…

This technical assistance guide was developed to help state policy makers develop performance-standard incentive policies that are effective tools in accomplishing state and federal goals for Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs. The guide is organized in three sections. The first section introduces incentive policies as tools to further…

This study was conducted to identify and validate the work-related problems of public school teachers in Florida's Prekindergarten Early Intervention Program which targets economically at-risk 3- and 4-year olds. The study was designed to answer three questions: (1) What problems are perceived to be most bothersome and occur most frequently? (2)…

The status of Indiana public education for 1990 is described in this report. The A+ Program for Excellence in Education has recently focused on the two following areas: school restructuring and early childhood assistance. Educational statistics for 1990 are highlighted, and information is presented on the following developments: the Center for…

This proceedings of a conference convened by the Governor of Pennsylvania explores the impact of Pennsylvania's cultural diversity upon public policy. The following five panel discussions were held: "Conservation of Cultural Heritage Resources: Values and Strategies"; "Culturally Sensitive Delivery of Health Care and Human…

This study examined the incidence and nature of abuse of individuals with developmental disabilities residing with their families in New York State. Informal meetings were held with service providers to discuss the issues, and 84 allegations of familial abuse and neglect were reviewed. The study found that familial abuse of these individuals…

Three states, Ohio, Texas, and Arkansas were selected to study implementation of policies relating to the identification of gifted students from special populations, i.e., culturally diverse students, economically disadvantaged students, and students with disabilities. Individual profiles were completed for each state, and a cross state comparison…

This brochure describes a cooperative way to help resolve differences of opinion between New York parents and schools regarding special education programs and services. It describes special education mediation as a process in which the parent or guardian of a student with a disability and a representative of the school district meet with a…

All nine articles in this periodical issue focus on the theme of the war against illegal drug use, approaching the topic from a variety of perspectives. The articles are: "The Drug War: Meeting the Challenge" (Stanley E. Morris); "Ways to Fight Drug Abuse" (Bruce A. Feldman); "Treatment Key to Fighting Drugs" (Stan…

The vision for parent involvement presented in this document supports the California State Board of Education's policy initiative on parent involvement. Adopted in January 1989, the initiative includes a policy that encourages school districts and schools to implement long-term, comprehensive programs that build on the strengths of families. The…

This manual is intended to help human services agencies to create home care volunteer programs. The manual is organized in nine sections. The first section provides initial information about volunteer programs that agencies should consider before starting a program. It is followed by two sections that provide an overview of the program's structure…