Four groups of raters (clinical psychologists, school psychologists, teachers, and parents) evaluated the psychological importance of items on the Child Behavior Checklist. Results suggested that role groups could be differentiated on the basis of ratings. Findings included role group differences, gender differences, age differences, and parental…

Special education categories for mildly handicapped students are not reliable nor valid as indicators of particular forms of education. Their use is expensive and inefficient, causing disjointedness in school programs. A program of pilot projects is recommended in conjunction with regular educators to redesign categorical programs and policies.…

An obervational study of micro-educational environments and microcomputer use within these environments was conducted in special day classes, resource rooms, and mainstream classrooms (N=90). Mildly handicapped students in special education settings had less variety to their instructional experiences than did either handicapped or nonhandicapped…

The study examined the effects of observation alone and observation coupled with data collection on teachers' (N=40) ability to analyze trends in handicapped student academic performance, based on videotaped samples. Observation alone was adequate to accurately analyze upward trends, but data were required to accurately analyze level and downward…

Learning disabled (N=78) and educable mentally retarded (N=47) elementary students, when taught by teachers whose certification matched child label, did not make significantly greater gains than when instructed by teachers with licenses not matching pupil label. The data support a noncategorical service delivery model with implications for student…

Forty-eight girls aged 8-9 and 48 girls ages 12-13 viewed videotapes of a same-age, same-grade peer exhibiting either socially appropriate or inappropriate behaviors. Half the subjects were told the child was in a special class for the retarded. Negative social behaviors affected peer attitudes, while the label did not. (Author/JW)

Structured in-home interviews with 99 parents of severely impaired students (ages 3-8) assessed parents' satisfaction with schooling, their involvement with it, communication with the school, and perceived benefits. Among findings was that parent involvement correlated significantly with such variables as overall family adjustment and level of…

Of 360 institutions responding to a national survey on the status of preservice interdisciplinary special education team training, 48 percent did not offer team training. The majority of programs with team training infused training components into existing courses/practica. Team training components followed closely the team operations found in…

Eleven special education resource teachers from seven North Carolina education agencies outlined their responsibilities in the student referral-to-placement process. Among shared responsibilities were making the initial contact with the referring teacher positive and productive, developing the individualized education program (IEP), and…

A national agenda for the education of gifted students should focus on three areas of unmet needs: the educational needs of the underserved gifted, including underachievers, young gifted, and culturally diverse gifted; a program quality support network, emphasizing research, development, demonstration, and leadership training; and collaborative…

An evaluation of empirical evidence from three studies published in journal articles and a book chapter indicated insufficient cause to view the Adaptive Learning Environments Model as a successful, large-scale, full-time mainstreaming program for integrating handicapped pupils and remedial/compensatory education students into general education.…

Identified are four major fallacies in Douglas Fuchs and Lynn Fuchs' critique of the Adaptive Learning Environments Model (ALEM) and the General Education Initiative (GEI): erroneous interpretations of the GEI, segregationism in the Fuchs' point of view, the research base of the ALEM, and readiness for the GEI. (JDD)

This paper refutes the arguments of Margaret Wang and Herbert Walberg in their support of the Adaptive Learning Environments Model (ALEM) and the General Education Initiative. It focuses on the small number of ALEM implementations and replications, weaknesses of the research and evaluations supporting ALEM, and other specific criticisms. (JDD)

Efforts to unify categorical programs for low-achieving elementary school students must address instructional validity issues (including similarities/differences between learning disabled and remedial students in instructional levels, learning rates, and learning styles) and political validity issues (including protection and equitable…

A survey of early childhood intervention policies in 50 states and the District of Columbia focused on handicapping conditions served, overseeing agencies, interagency contracts, state regulations, training/certification, etc. Results showed a national shortage of trained early childhood personnel, less than optimal funding, lead agency…