Results in study 1 indicate teams spent twice as much time discussing academic information as behavioral information; little time was spent discussing physical or medical data. In study 2 nearly all of the meetings were devoted primarily to classroom data, scores on achievement tests, and scores on intelligence tests. (Author)

School records of 124 students at a private day school for learning disabled (LD) children (average age 12 years) were examined in an attempt to describe one group of students labeled LD. Information available included demographic data; medical history information; parental estimates of child's ability to inteact with others, child's developmental…

Current screening and diagnostic practices for identifying young handicapped children in Minnesota were surveyed. Information was gathered on the populations served, the professionals and tools employed in screening and diagnosis, decision criteria, and the perception of gaps and duplications in services. The results indicated a heavy reliance on…

The validity of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery was evaluated with a sample of 50 learning disabled fourth graders. In general, the Battery has some convergent validity but little discriminant validity relative to various cluster scores or specific uses. (Author)

Describes rationale and model for changing assessment efforts in schools from simple description to integration of information from multiple sources for purpose of designing interventions. Sees analyzing instructional environments for individual students as prerequisite for effective consultation and intervention planning. Suggests school…

Findings related to instructional intervention and decision making from four in-depth ecological case studies were integrated and analyzed. The case studies focused on four early childhood special education (ECSE) programs that were characterized by a variety of approaches to ECSE decision making and by urban, suburban, and rural locations. The…

This report summarizes the present and past status of students with disabilities in educational assessment and accountability systems, and highlights the critical emerging issues to be addressed. Issues include participation in accountability systems, graduation requirements, data management, accommodations, alternate assessments, reporting, and…

The individual assessment and decision making procedure in cases of handicapped children of 12 individuals were surveyed and described in detail. Four school psychologists, four special educators, and four regular educators were selected randomly from those who had participated in a computer simulated assessment and decision making exercise. The…

This report is a summary of a May 1994 meeting on the participation of students with disabilities in statewide assessment programs. The report reviews the background of the meeting, states the issues addressed, and summarizes the major points of agreement reached. A set of recommendations is offered for making participation and accommodation…

This book is intended to facilitate the meaningful inclusion of students with disabilities in district and state assessments as required by the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. First, an introductory chapter offers reasons for including students with disabilities in district and statewide accountability systems.…

The extent to which computer simulated classification decisions within special education were differentially affected by information presented at the time of the referral was investigated. Decisions about 16 different cases were evaluated and found to be a function of referral information rather than child performance data. The outcomes are…

Educational decision makers (N=224) participated in a computer simulated decison making experience designed to ascertain the extent to which referral information biased classification decisions. Ss ignored standardized test information indicative of average performance and retained the stereotype created by the referral information. (Author)

Designed for general and special education administrators, teachers, and other education professionals, this book offers a "big picture" of high expectations, assessment, and accountability for students with significant disabilities. Chapters focus on the following eight steps involved in the development and administration of alternate…

This book is intended to facilitate the meaningful inclusion of students with disabilities in district and state assessments as required by the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. First, an introductory chapter offers reasons for including students with disabilities in district and statewide accountability systems.…

The report summarizes research conducted by the Institute for Research on Learning Disabilities (IRLD) on issues in assessment and identification of learning disabled (LD) students. The initial chapter highlights major findings from IRLD research studies on five topics: (1) the nature of the identification/classification process, (2)…