As schools emphasize accountability and academic progress for all students, professional collaboration is a critical aspect of planning accommodations and interventions that address the learning needs of diverse learners. To better understand collaborative processes, the authors investigated the nature of a collaborative planning experience for…

A student with moderate mental retardation included in a general education math setting was taught how to use self-management to increase his on-task behaviors. A researcher and special educator worked together to determine the content for self-management, and each collected 2 different types of data to monitor the impact of self-management.…

Coteaching involves 2 certified teachers: 1 general educator and 1 special educator. They share responsibility for planning, delivering, and evaluating instruction for a diverse group of students, some of whom are students with disabilities. In this article, the authors review models of coteaching and the research base for coteaching and describe…

Discusses the use of a consultative therapy model to provide physical and occupational therapy services in the schools, including standards for selecting this approach, preparation for teachers and therapists implementing the model, communication between teachers and therapists, and the need to supplement teachers' time for motor programming with…

This article discusses the process and structures of teacher collaboration; the collaborative tools available to educators for accommodating students with disabilities in regular settings; and the instructional, curricular, and contextual factors in designing more inclusive educational programs. It proposes a decision network that collaborating…

This article offers a framework for planning teams to use to implement inclusive education. Four planning dimensions (action planning, management, evaluation, and reflection) are discussed, including specific considerations for classroom teams. An example of one school's efforts toward developing an effective inclusion program is provided. (DB)

This article explains the combination of instructional practices called personalized contextual instruction (PCI) and illustrates its implementation by a general education teacher, a special education teacher, and a paraprofessional working together in a multiage primary inclusive classroom. The PCI approach incorporates individual learning…

A study explored expectations of 80 elementary teachers of the prereferral intervention team process and the need for direct support in implementing proposed interventions. The majority expected to acquire classroom interventions, obtain professional support, and inform parents of concerns. More than half were in favor of in-class demonstrations…

This article provides a guide for planning field trips for educational engagement of all children in early childhood education settings. Based on interviews, environmental assessments, and evaluations of activities, it includes field trip considerations and a field trip planning guide that includes the teacher, the parents, and the field site…

This article describes how the affinity diagram, a tool for gathering information and organizing it into natural groupings, can be used in inclusive classrooms. It discusses how students can be taught to use an affinity diagram, how affinity diagrams can be used to reflect many voices, and how affinity diagrams can be used to plan class projects.…

This article first notes differences between least restrictive environment (LRE), inclusion, and mainstreaming. It then discusses the LRE mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, reviews federal cases that have ruled on the application of the mandate, and concludes with an examination of principles from these cases and their…

This editorial on Public Law 94-142, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, notes major developments, such as the doctrine of least restrictive environment, the regular education initiative for merging general and special education, and the current inclusion movement. (SW)

Similarities and differences between least restrictive environment (LRE) and collaboration are considered. It is suggested that both LRE and collaboration are essential to achieving appropriate education for students with disabilities, but the potential of LRE and collaboration has not yet been fully realized. (SW)

A traditional view of social skills instruction, which is antithetical to promoting children's social development, is presented. Three explanations of social development are then outlined within the context of social integration of students with disabilities. Recommendations for general educators to promote children's social skills are offered,…

Describes the needs of minority children with disabilities and two peer-tutoring programs, Classwide Peer Tutoring and Classwide Student Tutoring Teams, that have been used effectively to promote the academic and social integration of minority children with disabilities into general-education settings. (Author/CR)