Technology has reshaped conceptions of professional development by increasing access to information, enabling sustained follow-up efforts, and fostering teacher reflection and collaboration. Drawing on theoretical models of parent involvement and an ethic of caring, this study examined the perceptions and attitudes of educators toward…

The preservice and in-service predictors of 1,668 Part C early intervention and Part B(619) preschool special practitioners' perceived self-efficacy beliefs are reported. The preservice variables were type of degree (discipline), years of formal postsecondary education, licensure, and participants' judgment of how well their preservice training…

The project sought to develop guidelines and materials to more fully integrate paraprofessional personnel into special education programs administered by public schools and other provider agencies, and to improve the performance and productivity of paraprofessionals working in elementary and secondary level special education programs. Overall…

This inservice primer for teachers, consisting of a case study and 10 true/false questions, distinguishes between protections guaranteed by two federal laws, Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Emphasis is on eligibility requirements, coverage for certain learning disabilities and health…

This chapter on designing and implementing effective staff development programs is taken from a guide to instruction and services for students with disabilities. The chapter focuses on assessment of staff development needs and identification of priorities for training. Staff development options are discussed in terms of formats (such as workshops,…

A collection of materials for the training of special education resource specialists are presented as the first of four volumes. The materials pertain to California legislation, coordination, inservice programs, consultation, instruction, and career-vocational education. After reviewing provisions of Assembly Bill 777 and Senate Bills 1870 and…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of a federally supported four-year project to enhance and implement an innovative model for interprofessional preservice training of early childhood intervention personnel. The New Scripts model is specifically committed to three areas of personnel development: supporting opportunities for…

The document contains the end of year progress report for Project Optimus/Outreach, which provided technical assistance or early intervention and the transdisciplinary process to academic and medical personnel serving special needs children and their families. Reported are training activities carried out at 11 sites and replication assistance at 8…

This study reports the characteristics, career intentions, and professional development needs of staff from a wide variety of services for people with a disability in New South Wales (Australia). Staff were predominantly female; male staff were unlikely to regard their career futures as being in the disability field; and employers were providing…

This study sought to identify resources available and training/technical assistance needs of personnel employed by projects serving American Indians and Alaska Natives under the provisions of Section 130 of the Rehabilitation Act. Section 130 authorizes funding of vocational rehabilitation service grants to the governing bodies of Indian tribes on…

This study surveyed how respite care services functioned for Swedish families who have children with disabilities and compared the results with a previous study made 6 years earlier. The study was based on a questionnaire completed by 245 of Sweden's municipalities. The study examined the quantity and quality of the services and respondents' views…

The document contains the 3-year evaluation summary for the Kansas Statewide Network for Special Education Paraprofessional Training. The program's purpose is fourfold: (1) to develop an increasing awareness of the professionalism of the paraprofessional in the total educational system; (2) to present an overview of P.L. 94-142 (the Education for…

A description is given of three workshops developed to assist school administrators in implementing programs in adapted and developmental physical education for mainstreamed students. The first workshop included information regarding services for the handicapped and approaches to program change in adapted physical education. The curriculum of an…

A handbook to assist states in fulfilling requirements of Public Law 94-142 to provide a Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) for special education staff is presented. The handbook is intended to help writers develop, review, update, and implement the CSPD, which is one section of the state plan submitted to the federal government.…

The report and an accompanying executive summary of a statewide needs assessment on young handicapped children in Iowa examine services available, effectiveness of services, and needed changes. The introduction provides an overview of State Planning Grants, Iowa's history of early childhood special education, and this project's approach to…