This article discusses an evolving understanding of the relationship of assistive technology (AT) to student achievement. Clarifying the compensatory nature of AT and its role in creating a "floor of opportunity" for students with disabilities, the authors then emphasize the importance of AT for access to and productivity within both the life…

Although many studies have examined the alignment of state standards with large-scale assessment and instruction, fewer have attended to alignment concerning alternate assessments for students with significant disabilities. This study was designed to (1) compare expectations in one state's alternate assessment (AA) with curricular priorities…

Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act mandate that transition services be provided for students with disabilities who are 16 years and older. Although the current emphasis in the transition process tends to focus primarily on vocational opportunities, another important component of transition services is community…

Educators from four states participated in a pilot study to enhance and field-test an assessment guide for assisting teams in creating student-centered behavior plans. The assessment guide attempts to consciously match the multi-layered tenets of positive behavior support with the behavioral intervention and support process for maximum…

The National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) was assigned the task of compiling, analyzing, and summarizing the data for Indicator 1--Graduation--from the FFY 2010 Annual Performance Reports (APRs) and amended State Performance Plans (SPPs), which were submitted by states to the Office of Special Education…

During SY 2009-2010, the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) continued their efforts to improve the validity and reliability of data reporting. BIE data collections are dependent on school level entry (self reporting) into the Native American Student Information System (NASIS) or into the Bureau's Annual Report from the schools. In addition,…

The reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, December 3, 2004, (IDEA '04) and its implementing federal regulations, October 13, 2006, prompted the need to revise Virginia's special education regulations. Input was received from a Stakeholders Group that included school personnel, parents, consumers,…

This study determined the effectiveness of Kindergarten Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (K-PALS) for students with disabilities. The researchers randomly assigned 89 kindergartners with individualized education programs (IEPs) from 47 classrooms to control (n = 9); K-PALS Level 1 (teachers received 1-day workshop; n = 19); or K-PALS Level 2…

In April 2007, Federal No Child Left Behind regulations were finalized that provided states with additional flexibility for assessing some students with disabilities. The regulations allowed states to offer another assessment option, alternate assessments based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS). States are not required to have…

For many students with disabilities to be successful learners in the general education curriculum, they must receive supplemental aids and services. Assistive Technology commonly referred to as AT, fits both the definition of supplemental aids as well as related services for students with disabilities. Assistive Technology services and devices…

This text on the education of gifted children is organized into two parts--the first on curriculum principles and the second on applications of those principles. The first chapter examines such topics as theories of intelligence, qualitatively different curricula, and a comprehensive approach to curriculum. Chapter 2 considers several continuums…

Project UNITE (Unified Intercommunity Transition and Empowerment for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities) is a federally funded transition systems change grant in Virginia which attempts to integrate services among educational systems, human service agencies, communities, families, and consumers with disabilities who are involved in…

This handbook supplement, for adult service providers, is part of a packet intended to aid educators, families, and adult service providers to facilitate the transition from school to adult life in the community for students with both cognitive disabilities and visual or dual sensory impairments. Emphasis is on preparation of students for adult…

Using a collaborative approach in three York County (Maine) school districts, representatives from special education and vocational rehabilitation implemented a model program of transition services for specific learning-disabled (SLD) individuals, aged 16 to 22 years old. The experimental group consisted of 32 SLD individuals and the control group…

An impact analysis of the Vocational Opinion Index Transition System (VOITS) was conducted by studying the first six months of its implementation at a Minneapolis vocational training center. (The VOITS program provides skills training personnel with an early diagnosis of an individual's "Job Readiness Posture" and guidelines for the…