Chronic illness often goes hand-in-hand with absence from school, and students miss out on learning opportunities at school for extended or accumulative periods of time. Many young people seek to continue their school studies nonetheless. The need to consider viable ways to support them academically arose in the context of a project called…

The following profiles address the basic decisions and actions that state education policy-makers--in the state departments of education, unless otherwise noted--are taking to foster successful statewide implementation of the new standards and aligned assessments in 15 states. These profiles provide a descriptive overview of each state's…

The participation of a student with mild mental retardation in recess can often be both challenging and rewarding for the student and teacher. This paper will address common characteristics of students with mild mental retardation and present basic solutions to improve the experience of these students in the recess setting. Initially the…

The purpose of this document is to describe states' work in the area of performance-based compensation with a focus on special educators, including how teacher evaluation informs compensation decisions, support given to local education agencies (LEAs), variables used to make compensation decisions and how performance-based compensation is funded.…

Students with physical disabilities often require assistive technology to access curriculum and instruction. This paper discusses some of the issues that impede successful implementation of assistive technology for students with physical disabilities and provides a checklist that teachers and related services personnel may use when considering…

Much attention has been given to the idea that librarians working in K-12 schools who graduate from school library programs are not simply book-shelvers, quietkeepers, and break-givers to other teachers. Rather, they are important members of the school community's instructional team and are certified educators qualified to deliver instruction…

Most districts are facing severe budgetary constraints, and special education is one area that is feeling the effects. Special education consumes an average of 20%-30% of school district budgets. Pacing fiscal and systemic controls on special-education spending, and examining para professional placements in particular, will lead to better delivery…

This article offers a comparative analysis of the Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, within a critically discursive framework. The author creates the notion of "possibilities of practice", and analyses each policy document as to how these are created, by means of…

The author examined enrollment differences at postsecondary institutions between students with and without disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors to investigate the extent to which students with disabilities, compared with their counterparts, pursue highly demanded STEM careers that require postsecondary…

This research examines the role of teaching assistants (TAs) working with children with special educational needs (SEN) in an increasingly complex and diverse context. The role of the TA has been given more attention recently, partly due to the increased focus on their effectiveness within an inclusive education system in a time of workforce…

The revision and process of validation of standards for early childhood special education (ECSE) and early intervention (EI) personnel at the initial and advanced levels of preparation, which occurred during 2005-2008, are described to provide a record of the process and to inform future cycles of standards revision. Central components focus on…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) requires local education agencies to provide students with disabilities exiting high school with a Summary of Performance document, which includes academic and functional performance information and recommendations for helping the student reach postsecondary goals. However, the federal mandate…

The involvement of persons with disabilities in formal decision-making processes is thought to have a range of benefits. However, research suggests that participatory processes may fail to match normative ideals. This study examines the participation of persons with disabilities in the development of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of…

Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) in postsecondary education is a relatively new concept/framework that has generated significant support. The purpose of this literature review was to examine existing empirical research, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods, on the use of UDI (and related terms) in postsecondary education.…

Informed by the narrative inquiry approach (Connelly & Clandinin, 1990), this qualitative study examined preservice teachers' narratives to investigate what they think, know, and believe in teaching English learners. Beyond just telling stories, narrative structures and meanings were examined with the goal of gaining insight of the preservice…