In response to previous articles concerning needs in educational research, the article notes that interventions with handicapped children are inappropriate when based on improbable extrapolations from initial data and when advocates' interpretations are naively literal. Both quantitative research and alternatives (such as qualitative research) are…

A scientific, rule-governed approach to solving problems suggests the following assumptions: we need different rules for different purposes; rules are grounded in values; the origins and applications of rules are often misunderstood; personal experience and idea popularity are unreliable; and all truths are tentative. Each assumption is related to…

This paper addresses issues in the utilization of research by special educators. It urges researchers to do better research and policymakers to make better choices. Criteria for good research-based procedures are offered. Discussion is organized around common frustrations of special educators, strategies for improving the link of research to…

Six issues in special education are analyzed: the erosion of science; the decline in the worth of special education; the lack of attention to prevention; the lack of primacy of academic instruction; the erosion of government programs; and the new racism that erodes the centrality of our common humanity. (Contains 3 references.) (CR)

This paper examines the role of effective practices in making education "special" for students with emotional and/or behavior disorders and discusses barriers and potential solutions for translating research into practice. These include accessibility of the literature base, teacher training and the role of teacher educators, support to implement…

Because research does not support the efficacy of any single service delivery arrangement for all mildly handicapped and at-risk students, the best approach is to maintain familiar service delivery structures while testing new ones. Direct instruction and behavioral interventions are probably the most effective classroom strategies with most of…