As many as 40 percent of America's school-aged children are at-risk of failure within the current educational system. Many factors outside of school, such as poverty and debilitating parent and family influences, contribute to student failure. Within the school, the most effective factor of intervention for at-risk students is the individual…

This appendix to the 14th annual report on implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act contains reports on progress in addressing the needs of two special populations: migrant students with disabilities and Native Pacific Basin and Native Hawaiian students with disabilities. Migrant students with disabilities tend to have…

Hispanics are a diverse group with considerable differences in country of origin, social class, race, educational status, and level of assimilation. Nonetheless, what does characterize all the major groups except the Cubans, albeit in varying intensities, are high levels of poverty and low levels of educational achievement. Cultural differences…

This report summarizes activities and findings of a federally funded center at the University of Miami (Florida) which reviewed and disseminated literature on the identification and assessment of children with attention deficit disorders (ADD). The review covers the literature published between 1980 and 1992 and is organized topically. In addition…

El Arco Iris is a supplementary pre-school program for Hispanic 4- and 5-year-old children and their parents. The Brownsville (Texas) Independent School District operates the program. Ninety-five percent of the kindergarten children in this district begin school speaking little or no English and median family incomes are among the lowest in the…

This research review focuses on the effects of early intervention on the preschool children of low-income families, examining studies of intervention programs begun in the 1960s through the present. It then relates this analysis to the new Georgia Prekindergarten Program. The interventions reviewed are grouped into four hierarchical categories…

To provide a rationale and policy agenda for early childhood programs in Arizona and to illuminate issues and concerns that surround decisions regarding preschool programs, this report reviews the background of the current preschool movement, describes the efforts of other states to establish preschool education, and discusses and makes…

This paper reviews the current literature on the suggested uses of play for assessment, prevention, and intervention with special needs children. The paper also uses case studies to illustrate the ways play is being used to facilitate achievement of early intervention goals and discusses advantages and disadvantages of these uses of play. The…

The literature review describes the ideal of "a school for all" which integrates children with and without disabilities from a European perspective. Topics covered include a historical review of discrimination against the disabled, the establishment of private special schools, the increasing role of public educational authorities in…

Problems with assimilating foreign students into the French school system are addressed by examining some of the variables which are considered in dealing with nursery school age (2-6 years) migrant children. An explanation is given of the pre-school provisions for migrants and the general national policy of accepting them into the nursery schools…

The first of four documents assesses the state of the art in the area of speech and language intervention for preschool handicapped children. It is explained in an introductory chapter that the report is designed to furnish an overview of existing programs and procedures which exemplify the field and identify critical issues which currently exist…

Reports on nationwide school improvement trends shown by the following indicators: (1) S.A.T. and A.C.T. scores, (2) school dropout rates, (3) preprimary enrollment rates, (4) increased numbers of required courses, and (5) the 1985 Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitude Toward the Public Schools. Six charts are included. (IW)

This paper summarizes the research on the importance of teacher education and salary levels, provides a snapshot of Head Start and Early Head Start staff credentials and related issues, describes recent legislative history and changes on teacher qualifications, and assesses whether states and higher education systems are ready to address a major…

This fact sheet on mental retardation is written in both English and Spanish. It begins with a vignette of a 15-year-old boy with mental retardation. Mental retardation is briefly explained as are some causes of mental retardation. It notes that a diagnosis of mental retardation looks at two things: first, the ability of a person's brain to learn,…

Researchers have long been interested in why some children have behavioral and developmental problems while others appear to develop "normally." A substantial body of research supports the notion that a child's early experiences--from birth to school entry--can influence significantly later cognitive, behavioral, educational, and…