A college professor relates his experiences of being diagnosed with learning disabilities while in high school, which affected his education, eventually making possible doctoral degree attainment. As a special education teacher and school psychologist, he cites the challenge of meeting post-secondary obstacles in transition planning for students…

Although state education agencies, teacher preparation institutions, and public schools often combine high incidence disabilities into one category and one placement, the students grouped under this label often have diverse educational needs. This study compares two samples of secondary special education teachers working at the same schools to…

Researchers examined roles and actions of members of "co-teaching" teams including a special educator and a regular educator in a public high school. Observational data were collected using momentary time sampling procedures. Results indicated that regular educators presented material to students in 29.93% of observed intervals; special…

Through a case study, the authors share a story of a high school special education teacher who developed a multimedia program to teach driver education (i.e., speed limits and road signs). The high school students (n = 24) had mild disabilities, and were enrolled in a driver education class in a rural high school. The teacher developed the…

In 1990 the Congress of the United States passed Public Law 101-476, The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This law mandated that students with disabilities be educated in, what this act calls, the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). Educating students with disabilities in the LRE is also known as inclusion and the terms may be…

Promoting access to the general curriculum has emerged as a central theme of the standards-based reform movement, challenging educators to identify effective strategies for supporting students with disabilities to access the numerous social and learning opportunities within general education. We examined peer support interventions as an…

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) "Special Education at a Glance." which includes a copy of the "Guide to Planning and Assessing School-Based Special Education Programs." provides in a single document, information about the special education population at each Montgomery County (Maryland) public school, including…

The 1999 Revisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA), confirmed the legal role of foster parents in special education decision making on behalf of the youth in their care. The present study responded with a multiple case study of seven…

This report includes observations from the first year of a three-year study of seven small high schools in Washington State. It discusses the results schools are beginning to see from knowing students and their learning needs more deeply. Progress to date includes teachers recognizing the need for personalization, designing structures to support…

In this article, the author reflects upon her experiences when she was still a student. She recalls how she questioned why teachers were not accountable when they "crossed the line" (like coming to class late), while students were corrected or punished. She felt powerless. She did not reflect upon her high school educational experience until her…

At least since the early 1990s, educators in inclusive schooling as well as scholars in Disability Studies have critiqued prevailing notions of intellectual ability and have suggested the importance of interpretive communities for constructing student competence (Biklen, 1990; Goode, 1992, 1994; Kliewer, 1998; Kluth, 2003; Linneman, 2001). This…

As in other states, many North Carolina schools face the challenge of hiring and retaining high quality teachers. Recruiting and retaining qualified teachers in math, science and special education is particularly difficult, especially for the schools serving disproportionate shares of disadvantaged or low-performing students. In 2001, North…

This is the 31st Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act," 2009. Section 664(d) of the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" ("IDEA") (P.L. 108-446), as reauthorized in 2004, requires that the Department of Education report annually on the progress…

Case study methodology was used in combination with a participatory action research (PAR) approach to examine the process of redesigning one high school science course to incorporate the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and to promote access to the general curriculum. The participants included one general education teacher and two…

This article presents interview information from parents to educators on the importance of teaching communication to students with autism spectrum disorder. The perspectives of three mothers of children with autism are presented to gain insight to strategies they felt helped their child to improve in the areas of interaction, communication, and…