Analyzes ways in which biology is taught by experienced teachers and discusses contexts in which specific teaching strategies seemed successful. Analyses of teachers' responses reveals complex relationships among their perception of what was distinctive about their biology program and students, allocation of class time, efforts to individualize…

If a state legislature sets a higher standard for individualized education programs, it must be met to receive federal special-education funding. However, an Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals decision in a case involving an autistic boy threatens to weaken IDEA's authorization of higher state standards. (MLH)

Describes a computer-mediated teaching system called computer-aided personalized system of instruction (CAPSI) that incorporates a social constructivist approach, maintaining that learning occurs primarily through a socially interactive process. Discusses use of CAPSI in an undergraduate course at the University of Manitoba that showed students…

Notes how research emphasizes the importance of tailoring instruction to the needs of the individual child. Examines tutoring interactions with Ricky, a friendly, vivacious first-grade boy who started the school year significantly behind peers in reading and writing. Explores what instruction can be provided to meet Ricky's individual learning…

Meaningful change occurs in a school culture with strong belief statements that guide reform decisions and consequences. At least four steps are required: developing a series of belief statements, determining those statements' implications, putting implications into practice, and revisiting belief statements and implications regularly to ensure…

This study examined parent perceptions of the paraeducator's role. Observations of paraeducators and students with disabilities were conducted in inclusive classrooms. Some para-educators worked as general classroom assistants, while others worked one-on-one with students with special needs. Each parent of a child with special needs was shown…

The Family-Centered Preschool Model is a family support model for center-based preschool programs. The model utilizes family consultants-parents of children with disabilities-to augment the support provided by classroom professionals. Family consultants coordinate and facilitate formal and informal family supports, maintain a close liaison with…

The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is an essential component in providing a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) to individuals with disabilities. The 2004 amendments of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) have attempted to reduce the paperwork requirements of the IEP, while simultaneously ensuring that the goal of…

Assessment and evaluation of children's physical fitness should be an educational process. This process is described as the "personalized self-testing" approach. This approach is a form of self-assessment that teaches children to assess their personal level of health-related physical fitness, interpret the results, and use the information (with…

The authors deal with changes in the relationship between education and learners due to modernization processes. The motivation of the learner has become a prime force to ensure the acquisition of knowledge. That implies a broadening of educational strategies, including nonformal education to remotivate frustrated learners.

The collection and use of data are generally accepted as important educational practices. Nevertheless, evidence exists that interventionists' data collection practices tend to be infrequent and nonsystematic. This study investigated the perspectives of early childhood interventionists about the use of data in their classrooms. Perspectives about…

School nurses are increasingly becoming an important part of public schools. Special educators and administrators should expect that the health services department will be involved in the special education process during identification, evaluation, and Individualized Education Program planning and implementation, especially for students who are…

In this article, 3 concerns voiced by legal analysts and advocates for students with disabilities regarding charter schools are reviewed, the extent of special education services in charter schools in Texas is reported, and the validity of those concerns is examined. Data submitted to the Texas Public Education Information Management System were…

Experiential learning programs, courses, and tasks create new opportunities for faculty and students to interact. Faculty roles may include one-on-one consulting, visits to off-campus sites to observe student work, and small group discussions. In addition to discipline content, discussions with students deal with their reactions to the experience,…

The standardized requirements that the graduate of a higher technical educational institution has to meet set the conceptual directions for the shaping of his personal qualities, and they contain two components: the "program" component and the "activity" component. The first component is based on the content of the syllabi and…