This study examined the participation styles of nine parents while attending Individual Educational Program (IEP) meetings for their children. The nine parents consisted of three parents from a suburban school district, three parents from a rural school district, and three parents from an urban school district. Data collection through videotaping…

All students, including students with disabilities, participate in state accountability systems. Many students participate in the regular assessment, with or without accommodations, but some students may require participation in an alternate assessment to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. Students with more significant cognitive disabilities…

This system aims to improve the communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity in schools that serve students with disabilities, especially those in urban and/or high-poverty settings. The STAR system outlines five practices that build a more adaptive and inclusive education environment while utilizing modes of communication and…

This book presents techniques for helping undecided college students set and implement educational and career goals, focusing on a developmental advising approach and career development concepts. Chapter 1 addresses the origins of indecision, the characteristics of undecided students, and program interventions. Chapter 2 focuses on administrative…

This manual is intended to facilitate the integration of children with mental handicaps into child care centers in Canada and elsewhere. The first chapter looks at the background of integration in early childhood child care programs in Canada and identifies concerns of parents. The second chapter explores the practice of labelling children with…

Intended for parents of young children with disabilities in Texas, this booklet describes the Texas early childhood intervention (ECI) program and identifies parent rights. An introductory chart summarizes five steps of family centered services (from assessment and evaluation to the annual Individualized Family Service Plan meeting) in terms of…

This paper describes the use of the Individual Career Plan (ICP) with students having disabilities at the University of Massachusetts (UMASS) at Amherst. The ICP is a career development tool that encourages self-determination. First, a summary of the barriers to career achievement for students with disabilities in higher education is presented.…

This handbook supplement, for transition coordinators, 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 transition planning and community…

The document provides a compendium of 83 "best practices" in the vocational rehabilitation of clients with learning disabilities. Practices (N=120) were originally identified by a literature search, contacts with experts on learning disabilities, contacts with learning-disabled individuals, and contacts with community-based organizations…

The paper addresses issues in providing community services for people with both mental retardation and emotional or behavioral disorders. First, it explores the meaning often found at the root of the often elusive definition of dual diagnosis concluding that this has become a catch-all category for people who present existing service systems with…

Although much that is written about rural schools focuses on economic scarcities, pressures on teachers, and limited materials, there are also distinct advantages offered to those attending school in rural areas. Small schools provide all children--including the gifted--with unique opportunities to develop intellectual, social, and creative…

Comprehensive staff development approaches described in this paper are based on on-site work with school districts and a 1980 National Rural Project investigation of problems experienced by over 80 rural districts and cooperatives across the country as they attempted to implement staff development programs. Three models are described which…

A study was conducted to (1) examine and evaluate existing vocational programs at the secondary level and to identify such programs or components of programs which appear to be meeting the needs of the learning disabled and the employer; and (2) share these findings with persons responsible for providing vocational education for learning disabled…

Regression analysis was employed to determine if there were any similarities between the tests administered to participants of the Mountain-Plains program, a residential, family-based education program developed to improve the economic potential and lifestyle of selected student families in a six-state area. The study compared the Wide Range…

Describes the development of a competency-based program for principals offered at California State College, California, Pennsylvania. The program includes the following features: ten generic competencies supported by 40 complementary enabling competencies, self-assessment, an individually prescribed curriculum, a field-based delivery system, and…