A group of fifth-grade students who had persistent problems at lunch and recess were identified and provided with direct instruction in pro-social skills. These skills were taught by the authors in a two-week program that they called the "Alternative to Lunch Program for Students" (ALPS). This action research study measured the impact of the…

This article describes the Council for Exceptional Children's professional standards for special education teachers, including the content standards and the knowledge and skill standards. Information is provided on how to use the standards to structure a professional development plan, maintain expertise and evaluate competency. Self-evaluation…

This article reports on a team effort by faculty from a public school district and an urban university to create an observation tool to be used to evaluate and mentor preservice and inservice teachers' abilities to address issues of classroom diversity. The observation tool is provided, along with implementation suggestions. (Contains references.)…

This article discusses the development of the Sexuality Education Protocol and a set of questions designed to assist educators in reviewing sexuality curricula for their students with disabilities. The questions address whether the curriculum reflects the values of students' families and if it is appropriate for students' ages and ability level.…

This article provides guidelines and strategies that educators can use to solicit feedback from students and their family members regarding their perceptions of their school's inclusion program. It also examines ways to address the concerns and issues raised by family members. A sample survey and questionnaire are included. (Contains references.)…

This article presents an instrument, the Transition Profile, which secondary educators and rehabilitation professionals have designed and field-tested. The Transition Profile is a method of summarizing pertinent information collected during the secondary years and may be useful in the process of determining eligibility for vocational…

This article describes a project to help educators improve the self-determination of students with disabilities. The project identified critical curricular components and developed a checklist to evaluate the different curricula designed to promote self-determination skills. Five curricula that have published research documenting their…

Discusses the need to accurately assess a student's progress in mastering classroom-taught skills and to understand the skills that employers expect of students in the workplace. Presents the Inventory for Assessing the Job Readiness Skills of Students Placed in Alternative Classes, and describes steps for completing the inventory. (CR)

Presents a scale of key teaching attributes that can be used to examine general classroom teachers' perceptions of knowledge and skills for providing effective instruction to students with disabilities, to assist in the development and implementation of more effective inclusionary practices, and to provide administrators with the indicators that…

Presents a rating scale for evaluating programs that are working to include students with high-incidence disabilities. The scale evaluates 12 general components with 47 items. Its use in over 50 schools in Florida to aid in program development, program monitoring, program evaluation, staff development, and parent education is described. (DB)

A best practices checklist is provided to assist special education teachers in self-evaluation and peer evaluation, and assist administrators in providing feedback to teachers. The checklist covers introducing the lesson, presenting the lesson, encouraging student participation, and providing corrective feedback. Each area identifies specific…

The Social Observation for Mainstreamed Environments (SOME) checklist evaluates handicapped preschool children's social skills and readiness for mainstreamed environments. Checklist items represent social behaviors important to successful preschool integration, such as initiating interactions appropriately, obeying class rules, and respecting…

A checklist is presented for evaluating classroom environmental design for students with dual sensory impairments, and for identifying environmental features that promote communication, independent mobility, student anticipation of events, and self-initiation of activities. Checklist items reflect a variety of considerations including ambience,…

The article presents a checklist for determining the extent of integration of severely handicapped students into regular school environments. The 14 item list is explained to be useful in identifying environments (such as the cafeteria, assembly programs, recess, and school hallways) in which integration of severely handicapped students should be…

Addresses pitfalls in formulating individualized education program (IEP) goals and objectives for handicapped students as mandated by P.L. 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act). Short-term objectives are subordinate to goals and should reflect a hierarchical relationship to goal. Some of the inadequacies of written objectives are…