The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between the perceptions of school membership, risk factors, and behavioral and academic engagement among a sample of alternative school students. The study subjects were 48 7th-9th graders who were at high risk for school failure because of their serious and chronic behavioral and…

Synchronizing the availability of team members for Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings can be a daunting task. Fortunately, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 permits alternative means of conducting such meetings. An example of an alternate means is a telephone conference, whereby parents communicate over the…

This guide is intended to help individuals with deaf-blindness or other severe disabilities and the people involved with them to plan positive futures. An introduction notes that Personal Futures Planning is different from other planning meetings in that all participants are there voluntarily, there are no rules, and the planning is done…

This packet of information focuses on innovative practices related to supported living for people with disabilities. It opens with an article by John O'Brien, "Supported Living: What It's Not," which summarizes common misunderstandings of supported living. The next section describes eight innovative agencies in the area of support…

Alternate Living, Incorporated (ALI) is a nonprofit agency supporting people with developmental disabilities in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, which includes Annapolis and some of the development south of Baltimore. In 1987, in partnership with the Human Services Institute (a private training and consulting organization in Maryland) and with a…

This document presents an instrument to help families of special needs children to identify their resources and their concerns, for use in development of the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). The first part of the instrument includes a series of open-ended questions that provide families an opportunity to identify their concerns, in…

This report describes a 1988 site visit to Pride Industries, a private, nonprofit agency which operates an apartment program for individuals with developmental disabilities in Bismarck, North Dakota, through a contract with a regional office of North Dakota's Department of Developmental Disabilities. Pride Industries supports 34 people living in…

The philosophy of the open classroom is examined in detail by constructing two ideal typical classrooms to summarize both the open and closed classroom models, demonstrating how the open education approach responds favorably to three major areas of criticism for the present system: the classroom environment, teaching and learning, and…

The paper advocates the extension of the basic protections of "permanency planning" to all children and youth, including those with severe handicaps. It discusses the concept and process of permanency planning and notes its promise in improving the opportunities of all children and youth to grow up in a stable family environment. It…

Reports on individualized instruction in action in a California public high school. (PP)

Briefly reviews British science projects using independent learning, summarizes the Intermediate Science Curriculum Study (ISCS), and considers how far this project can be applied to British conditions. (JR)

Described a move from conventional to individual education and its meaning for the student at Notre Dame High School in Quincy, Illinois. (Author/RK)

A second article on the Multiple Alternatives Program (MAP) analyzes the effects of MAP on the attitudes and self-concept of the participants. The statistically significant findings indicate a more favorable attitude toward higher education among MAP participants than the control group but no differences in self-concept between the two groups. (AG)

Describes an introductory astronomy course at Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, in which the Keller Plan (personalized system of instruction) is used. Course evaluation results and typical student comments about this self-paced program are provided. (JR)