Because of recent educational innovations with regard to learning disabilities, more effective methods are being sought for informing the school staff about new developments. A model is presented for establishing and implementing a staff development program in reading. (JN)

A student at Empire State College of the State University of New York studying under a mentor like Sharon Villines is likely to get college credit in a wider variety of subject areas than a candidate for a traditional bachelors degree. (MM)

A technique for analyzing patterns within a social system and how the classroom teacher can work toward a better understanding of student interaction is presented. A functional analysis of individually prescribed instruction is provided to illustrate eufunctional and dysfunctional elements within one particular teaching strategy. (Author)

The article presents answers to teachers' commonly asked questions concerning P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Questions and responses touch on such aspects as mainstreaming, legislative history, resource rooms, individualized education programs, due process, funding, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.…

Using word attack reading skills as an example, the article focuses on a process for translating the IEP (individualized education program) into a guide for effective instructional planning with handicapped students. (CL)

Individual Program Plans (n=163) from adults with developmental disabilities receiving community living support services in Australia were analyzed. While plans prepared by nongovernmental agencies were generally superior to governmental agency plans, the average level of plan presentation was poor. Only 14% of the plans offered any criterion for…

The functional relation between feedback and improved writing of Individual Habilitation Plan objectives in four adult service agencies serving the retarded was assessed. The agencies improved the quality of their written objectives after receiving feedback from the case manager and maintained those gains 18 months after feedback was terminated.…

The pain-control phase of a rehabilitation program may include flexion or extension exercises, lumbar mobilization, traction and selective injections. When the pain has been relieved, the patient advances to the training phase. (JD)

Examines the trend to use person-centered planning (PCP) in the provision of services to people with developmental disabilities. Reviews the history of this approach and warns that the implementation of PCP will be disappointing if the procedure is applied rigorously without regard for the context of relationships and agreements necessary for it…

Describes a systematic, student-centered retention program developed under the auspices of a university psychological and counseling center; through self-identification and follow-up, individuals are assisted with complex issues that commonly lead to withdrawal. Suggests that a useful alternative to retention is promoting reasons for students to…

It is encouraging that children with autism show a strong response to early intervention, yet more research is needed for understanding the variability in responsiveness to specialized programs. Treatment predictor variables from 47 teachers and children who were randomized to receive the COMPASS intervention (Ruble et al. in "The…

Academic tracking has been shown to limit the quality of student instructional opportunities, decrease students' perceptions of their abilities, and negatively influence student achievement. These factors associated with academic tracking also may influence students in lower tracks to learn less and ultimately to drop out of high school. Few…

Since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002, federal law requires schools to demonstrate yearly progress toward academic proficiency. Data have shown that students with special needs often achieve higher levels of academic growth in inclusive classrooms than in special education classrooms. Furthermore, studies have also suggested…

This report presents Special Education Indicator Performance data tables for 173 Bureau of Indian Education schools. Indicators include: (1) Graduation Rate; (2) Dropouts; (3) Assessment Targets; (4) Assessment Targets--Reading; (5) Assessment Targets--Mathematics; (6) Suspensions and Expulsions--High School; (7) Suspensions and…

How do children develop identifications with mathematics over time, seeing themselves as agents in their math classrooms (or not)? This ethnographic and interview study followed nine Latino/a children with and without learning dis/abilities through two years of mathematics in a high-poverty urban school. The children participated in two distinct…