The purpose of this paper is to define and describe the 'Telos' or purpose of special education. We argue that special education has three main (tripartite) functions: (a) research, (b) a distinct system, and (c) special instruction. The overall Telos of special education is to provide an educational service to better serve students whose…

Promoting student access to the general education curriculum remains a focus of the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This article examines educational practices that promote such access for students with mild mental retardation, overviews issues pertaining to the implementation of supplementary aids and…

Because researchers cannot achieve theory-free observation, it is therefore impossible to attain absolute objectivity. This realization has led to issues of major consequence concerning our understanding of educational research and of ourselves as educational researchers. Specifically, serious questions have been raised about the nature of…

Comments on researchers' efforts to develop and refine a methodology to use in a study that investigated patterns in general education teachers' integration practices (EC 618 917). The need to combine qualitative and quantitative methods in more creative ways to investigate actual practice in special education is discussed. (CR)

The researchers who conducted a review of 995 journal articles on mainstreaming reflect on the finding that there has been much more survey research than direct measurement of teacher and student performance. The need for empirical research on instruction and learning in inclusive settings is stressed. (DB)