A survey of 989 service providers for handicapped children, age 0-6, examined the degree to which early intervention activities focus on the family. The survey assessed perceptions of the value of working with parents, time devoted to family-focused activities, kinds of services offered, achievement of objectives, and factors impeding services.…

The article examines issues of concern to the introduction of required teacher appraisals in British special schools. A survey of 32 headteachers in special schools suggests some guidelines for an effective and fair system, including integrating appraisal with staff development, encouraging self evaluation, and improving inservice education. (DB)

A teacher of fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students with deafness in a residential school shares methods and activities found to be effective. The methods stress the importance of expectations for learners, ways that design of the learning environment can encourage student ownership, risk taking, and responsibility. (Author/DB)

A practicum model was designed to prepare secondary special education teachers to be collaborative decision makers and reflective practitioners. Over the course of the practicum, the nine participants were found to exhibit more reflective thinking, and collaboration with their peers seemed to assist in developing effective instructional…

The study examined the frequency with which specified prediction-related and skill-deficit vocational assessment procedures were administered by 55 secondary level teachers of students with disabilities and 64 employment training specialists. Although both types of procedures were used, the more contemporary skill-deficit procedures were used more…

This article describes peer coaching as a method for teacher improvement and offers guidelines for establishing a peer coaching program for early childhood and early childhood special education teachers and related services professionals. It also identifies common problems and possible solutions of peer coaching programs. Sample forms for use in…

Presents guidelines for developing an effective rule management routine, including create rules and procedures based on cooperative and productive learning behavior; identify specific student behaviors for rule compliance; define teacher responsibilities for rule compliance; establish logical consequences; and develop communication links among…

There has been increasing interest in the role of teacher and other staff behaviour in the development and maintenance of problem behaviours in individuals with special needs. Research and theoretical developments have tended to focus on one of three domains: staff as assessment and behavioural change agents, staff wellbeing as determined by…

This bibliography identifies 66 publications on causes and cures of teacher attrition, with a focus on special educators. The materials cover the period 1980-1995 and cover topics such as: teacher retention in urban schools, the condition of education in rural schools, burnout among special education teachers, predictors of retention and…

This paper explores the use of a peer coaching model, the Collaborative Learning Process (CLP), to increase the application of content from inservice teacher training. Educators (N=40) of students with moderate to severe disabilities were trained in the use of CLP to encourage application of the newly trained skill of facilitating skill…

This document presents the Oregon state guidelines for provision of educational interpreting services for students who are deaf. An introduction defines an educational interpreter and considers how to determine the need for an educational interpreter and the student-interpreter relationship. The next section details the roles and responsibilities…

This report describes the personnel development requirements of Public Law 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act), Delaware's Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD), and Delaware's proposed action plan. The scope of the CSPD system is covered, including descriptions of inservice and preservice training for general…

Missouri LINC Assistive Device Service is part of a state program to help vocational and special education teachers prepare special education students for employment. Assistive Device Services staff respond to requests from school personnel for information on sources for adaptive devices, publishers or distributors, and consultants on specific…

This research review examines the historical development of training programs for special education teachers, beginning with their apprenticeship at residential institutions for handicapped children. Federal legislation brought about reform in the preparation of special education teachers, by authorizing grants to universities and colleges to…

Arranged into four sections, the resource guide provides special educators with over 40 annotated listings of: (1) associations and government agencies concerned with computer use for physically handicapped and other special education students; (2) producers of software, dedicated hardware, and adaptive devices; (3) publications and directories on…