Opportunities presented to both regular and special educators by the changing demographic characteristics of students are outlined. The paper calls for adopting a philosophy that all children can learn, using intervention assistance programs, fostering student opportunities for peer collaboration and mentoring, and infusing multicultural knowledge…

Discusses four truths about high school sports: rules of the game are unassailable, the purpose of the game is winning, teammates are people who depend upon one another, and coaches are people to trust. The educational value of school sport is the pursuit, not the attainment, of excellence. (SM)

Highly productive educational methods have been identified through publicly funded research, but these methods or programs have not been widely disseminated or adopted. Problems with the work ethic, discipline, and competition are described, along with the public's need for learning but its desire for entertainment. (JDD)

Cognitive apprenticeship emphasizes a combination of authentic problem-solving experiences with expert guidance in lieu of decontextualized instruction. This article examines issues in cognitive science and describes a model of cognitive apprenticeship for providing academic instruction to students with special learning needs. (Author/DB)

This paper discusses the role of American Sign Language (ASL) in educating deaf children, based on the history of using manually coded English (MCE). The paper concludes that use of ASL should not be the ultimate goal of bilingual bicultural programs, and, in some classrooms, the optimal program will be complementary use of ASL and MCE. (JDD)

This article examines issues in multicultural education of culturally diverse gifted students noting two divergent philosophical frameworks (assimilationist and pluralist) and views on sources of ethnic student underachievement, the purpose of schooling, procedures for identification, instructional processes, and curriculum content. It supports a…

This rejoinder to Carbo (EC 602 673) reiterates the author's premise in EC 602 672 that the learning style approach to teaching reading is similar to discredited process approaches. Carbo's documentation is criticized as being unscientific because of being based on testimonials, opinion, unpublished research, and unproven cause and effect.…

This article examines the relevance of whole-language instruction with deaf children and concludes that, although this approach has many values, deaf children often need a more direct approach to acquire English literacy. Educators of the deaf are urged to be wary of adopting general education methods without careful evaluation with deaf students.…

Characteristics of culturally diverse students are discussed in terms of language, culture, and socioeconomic factors. Meeting the educational needs of culturally diverse students can involve interactive teaming of professionals; parent involvement; and providing appropriate services, assessment, curriculum, and instruction. (JDD)

A survey of 83 Illinois elementary schools with intervention assistance teams found that teams were able to meet the needs of 59% of the students reviewed without referral for a formal evaluation. The survey analyzes the composition of teams, strategies used by teams, and inservice preparation and offers recommendations for team development. (JDD)

Explores a 3-week seminar in which eight art teachers and two science teachers participated in order to investigate their perceptions of integrating the teaching of art and science and what affected their attempts to interconnect the two subjects. Reveals the findings and implications in detail. (CMK)

Discussion of special education at the turn of the century raises concerns about the abandonment of core values and professional responsibility (as in the emphasis on general rather than special education), adoption of methodologies (such as co-teaching) without any evidence of effectiveness, and a "one size fits all" approach (inclusion of…

A teacher checklist is presented for accommodating students with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Points to consider when designing an educational program for students with AIDS include maintaining flexibility, using universal precautions, fully including the student with AIDS, educating parents, and coping with death. (JDD)

This case study describes the mainstreamed and accelerated educational program being provided to a 15-year-old boy in England who is highly gifted and has Asperger's Syndrome, a condition with many autistic-like characteristics. The boy's special education program to develop his social, communication, and independence skills is highlighted. (DB)

This article presents reconstructionism (the process of critique and reformulation of practice) as a useful way to design curriculum in inclusive schools. Theoretical foundations and the use of learner-centered, process-oriented, and communication-based instructional approaches are proposed as promising practices in curriculum design for diverse…