A study of four children with disabilities and six children without disabilities in an integrated preschool investigated the effects of pairing children with disabilities with trained peers for school activities and teaching interaction skills to all the children. Results found interactions between the children significantly increased after…

A follow-up study of 80 students (ages 17-22) with cognitive disabilities for whom data regarding self-determination had been collected prior to their high school exit found that the self-determined students were more likely to have achieved more positive adult outcomes, including being employed and earning more per hour. (Author/CR)

A survey of 222 educational sign language interpreters from K-12 public school systems found a lack of certification and adequate training for the majority of respondents and an underrepresentation of males and interpreters from minority groups. Recommendations for providing educational programs and services for students with hearing impairments…

A study of six teacher education programs examined the preservice experiences of 70 novice general education teachers to determine conditions that may inhibit or facilitate their progress toward differentiation for academically diverse learners. Results found that their training in the nature and needs of exceptional learners was scant. (Author/CR)

A year-long study of an innovative approach to mathematics, which emphasized in-depth problem solving and achievement of automaticity through math games, found such methods to be viable for students with average and above average academic abilities, but students with learning disabilities or at-risk students need much greater assistance if they…

This study of 422 students with disabilities and 107 without examined the extent to which the instructional components and skill outcomes associated with school-to-work programs predict better postschool outcomes for students. Findings provide general support for the school-based and work-based instructional components. Implications for practice…

This volume of "Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Services" contains the following featured articles: (1) "The Value of Standards-Based Curricula for Students with Physical and Health Disabilities" (Catherine L. Keating), which discusses how a standards-based evidence-based curriculum can provide a basis of consistency for all children…

This article discusses cooperative learning as a strategy for increasing academic achievement for students with mild disabilities. Factors for successful cooperative learning groups include: heterogeneous grouping, tasks cooperative in nature, the existence of positive interdependence, individual accountability, equal opportunities for success,…

Using data from the Department of Education's 1997 Annual Report to Congress, this article examines changes that have occurred in the number of U.S. students who are identified with disabilities since inclusion began in earnest in the late 1980s, as well as the movement toward educating these students in more inclusive settings. (CR)

Presents a collaborative, problem-solving approach for including students with disabilities in general-education classes. Parents' views of inclusion, implementation of inclusion, empirical support for inclusion, strategies and tactics related to successful inclusion, types of inclusion problems, and steps for applying collaborative…

Highlights specific questions, concerns, and challenges faced by educators, parents, and students concerning assessment, accountability, accommodations, and alternate assessment. Examples of state assessment-accommodation policies are provided and reasons for providing test accommodations, requirements of Individualized Education Programs,…

Explores metacognitive strategies that can help students with learning disabilities significantly raise their Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) scores. META-TEST SAT contracts that outline a student's personal test-taking strategy are explained, along with possible test accommodations, test-taking tips, and practice strategies. A mini-case study is…

Describes six features of instruction that efficiently accommodate and accelerate learning of a diverse range of students in the general education classroom, including organizing instruction around big ideas, using conspicuous strategies, priming students with background knowledge, using mediated scaffolding, judiciously planning and organizing…

Describes the experiences of a Catholic high school that included three students with moderate disabilities in their general-education program. The challenges of inclusion, the need for long-term staff inservice training, and barriers to inclusion are discussed. Suggestions for inclusive schools and schoolwide achievement are provided. (CR)

Describes a sixth-grade inclusive classroom that uses project-based learning units to examine controversial topics from the social studies curriculum. Students work in heterogeneous cooperative-learning groups composed of students with and without disabilities, to develop a multimedia presentation that demonstrates what they have learned. (CR)