A rationale is presented for evaluation of effective educational practices for mildly handicapped students in all mainstreamed classes, followed by discussions of mainstreaming evaluations that have been conducted. Areas of relevant research are also presented. Finally, a model of an effective evaluation system is offered. (Author/KM)

The paper describes a behavioral-ecological assessment system called AIMS (Assessment for Integration into Mainstream Settings) and presents the results of a comparative study of the responses of four Australian (N=179) and two U.S. (N=72) elementary teacher groups on two of the AIMS assessment instruments, the Social Behavior Standards Inventory…

A conceptual perspective and set of principles are offered for the evaluation of special service programs in public school settings. Special service program evaluation is seen as a process of obtaining and reporting information on a program's adequacy, process, efficiency, and impact. (Author)

Using the empirically based evidence that has resulted from the previous five Talent Searches of the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth, the article develops the rationale and success behind the talent-search concept as a useful strategy for identifying the intellectually gifted. (Author)

The Code for Instructional Structure and Student Academic Response--Special Education (CISSAR-SPED) is an observation system which assesses the ecobehavioral processes within learning environments. Use of CISSAR-SPED with 12 students with autism or developmental disabilities provided both molar and molecular descriptions of special education…

Eight direct scoring indices of written expression were intercorrelated, factor analyzed, and used to predict holistic judgments of writing samples of 172 middle-school students in compensatory/specialized education programs. Strongest predictors of holistic ratings were percentage of words correctly sequenced and percentage of correctly spelled…

Measuring employment outcomes for persons with severe disabilities has gone from a focus on task performance in sheltered settings to measurement of a number of individual outcomes in supported employment settings. Measurement considerations for individual, group, and organizational variables are discussed. Use of more than one measurement…

This paper uses the concepts of decision reliability and validity to analyze three alternative psychoeducational assessment strategies: multiple gating, template matching, and time-series methods. It argues that relatively little knowledge is gained through analysis of individual scales and assessment technologies without considering the…

This study examined the criterion-related validity of oral reading fluency (ORF), number of words read correctly per minute, with 64 regular, remedial, and special education elementary-level students. Comparison with two miscue-based assessment measures did not support modification of traditional ORF but did suggest practical value of selected…

This study analyzed the relative efficacy of normative (population relative) and ipsative (person relative) measures for the study of intraindividual and interindividual differences in child ability. Ipsative ability measures were found to be uniformly inferior to their normative counterparts and conveyed no uniquely useful information. (Author/DB)

Four methods of monitoring oral reading rate progress were compared, with 48 elementary age students with learning disabilities. Although no significant differences were found among conditions, results suggest that self- or peer monitoring can be employed (with accuracy of measurement equal to that of teacher monitoring) as an efficient method of…