This manual presents information about major causes of developmental disabilities, discusses strategies to prevent development disabilities, and identifies relevant resources and reference material. Introductory information defines developmental disabilities and prevention (under Virginia statutes). The first section considers causes prior to and…

Information on the implementation of services for preschool children with special needs and their families, acquired from a survey of 60 states and jurisdictions is presented. The information is organized into nine sections reflecting major state activities related to the Part B--Section 619 portion of the Individuals with Disabilities Education…

This report addresses problems associated with school readiness and offers recommendations intended to help the 15 member states of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) meet goals that were adopted in 1988. After discussing the importance of school readiness, the report lists some obstacles to readiness that are especially prevalent in the…

This report presents the background materials for a 1991 conference of the National Puerto Rican Coalition on labor force participation issues affecting Puerto Ricans. The first of three sections, "Shaping Tomorrow's Workforce: A Leadership Agenda for the 90's," calls for an effort to unite a fragmented collection of programs for…

This report describes how 20 states and Puerto Rico used $2.7 million awarded by the Gannett Foundation to build and expand adult literacy activities in a coordinated fashion statewide. Chapter 1 presents information on development of the Literacy Challenge grants program and brief descriptions of each project, including year funded, amount of…

This report examines the development of school choice policies as an element of educational reform, describes open enrollment as one form of school choice, outlines other types of school choice programs, describes Minnesota's various forms of educational choice, explores arguments for and against choice, and discusses issues and concerns for…

A survey was conducted of 82 rural parents of students with disabilities or giftedness on the topic of open enrollment. The survey examined demographic characteristics, sources of information, reasons for transfer, and changes in parental involvement with schools. Most of the rural students with special educational needs who chose to participate…

To be truly effective, early childhood educational and day care policy must reflect the perceptions, views, and concerns of parents. Because parents are their children's primary teachers, there is a high correlation between parent involvement and their children's academic achievement, and a constituency of the family would make a significant…

Noting that communities and states all across America are working to achieve the first National Education Goal--by the year 2000, all children in America will start school ready to learn--this paper provides information on efforts to meet that goal. The first portion of the paper presents a definition of readiness to learn devised by the Education…

This text of a hearing on the reauthorization of the Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988 addresses such issues as clearer standards of accountability, establishment of low-interest loan programs for consumers, increased assistive technology training, outreach to minority populations, dissemination of…

This document summarizes the proceedings of meetings held by the North Carolina Legislative Research Commission's Committee on Students at Risk in autumn 1992. Presenters were representatives of North Carolina governmental agencies and other organizations or programs. Findings include the following: (1) The term "students at risk" places…

This plan brings common purpose and effective statewide coordination to video telecommunications activities in Washington State. The Department of Information Services (DIS) is designated the lead agency in the statewide coordination of video telecommunications through its enabling legislation. The plan outlines a structure to link and measure…

The report of the External Program Review Team on Teacher Education to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education featured 23 recommendations for Oklahoma to become a leader in teacher education. The recommendations were grouped into five categories of concerns: program rigor, faculty resources, technology, interrelationships/leadership, and…

In 1993 the Western Illinois University and Illinois State Board of Education Satellite Education Network broadcast a series of 10 half-hour instructional programs focused on mathematics inservice training for Illinois school teachers in grades 5-8 and 9-12. Project funding came from the Eisenhower Mathematics and Science Education Program through…

A semester-long study examined the assessment instruments and techniques currently being used by companies participating in the Wisconsin Workplace Partnership Training Program (WWPTP). Twenty-four instruments that may be categorized as either standardized tests, competency-based and criterion-reference measures, or participatory assessment…