This manuscript presents findings from a study of the contributing factors and details of special education due process hearings in the United States that involved students with emotional and behavioral disorders. The study examined 101 due process hearings conducted over a three-year period in a five-state sample: California, Illinois,…

This article highlights a set of principles and guidelines, developed by a diverse group of specialists in the field, for appropriately including English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities in large-scale assessments. ELLs with disabilities make up roughly 9% of the rapidly increasing ELL population nationwide. In spite of the small overall…

This article reports on a case that resulted in a published court decision which illustrates a dilemma at the intersection of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). On first impression, the finding that teachers were operating based on professional principle seems to validate their actions.…

The polio vaccine became available in 1955, due almost entirely to the efforts of the March of Dimes. In 1921, Franklin Roosevelt gave a public face to polio and mounted a campaign to prevent it, establishing the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis in 1938. During the Depression, U.S. citizens were asked to contribute one dime. Entertainer…

The primary goal of this study was to examine the relationship between deaf and hard-of-hearing students' learning style preferences and compare them to their nondeaf peers. Specifically, this study used 90 students throughout western Washington State, 45 per group. Quantitative data were collected using the 104-question survey Learning Style…

Raising academic standards and eliminating achievement gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged students are America's prime national educational goals. Current federal and state policies, however, largely ignore the fact that the childhood poverty rate in the United States is 21%, the highest in the industrialized world, and that poverty…

This article presents an infusion model for integrating social and behavioral skills into the general curriculum for students with disabilities and presents the "Violence Is Preventable" project (Washington State) as an example. Discussion includes available curricula on school survival and social skills, the instructional model, and…

Conducted a study to establish a database on the post-school employment status of handicapped students throughout the state of Washington. Interviews with parents of 1,225 special education graduates indicated a 55% employment rate among children and a need for vocational rehabilitation services. Findings suggest that use of existing services is…

This handbook, prepared by the Barrier Resolution Project in the state of Washington, includes specific instructions, materials, and checklists of equipment necessary for an outside facilitator to assist in the development of cooperative problem solving and planning related to special education. After introductory material including "keys to…

The Family Support Opportunities program is a Washington state program that connects individuals with extensive knowledge of local communities (community guides) with families of individuals with intellectual disabilities. A survey of 312 families found that when families indicated satisfaction with their community guides, they also reported a…

Most of the school districts in Washington State are small, rural, and contain a low percentage of minorities. However, the Hispanic student population has increased from 3.9 percent in 1985-86 to 6 percent in 1991-92, mostly due to migrant students. The percentage of other minority students has remained relatively stable. Consequently, there is…

This study investigated the nature and extent of physical education programs for individuals with disabilities in Washington State's small rural public school districts. Questionnaires were sent to 185 superintendents of small rural school districts in the state. Of the 128 responses, 70.3% enrolled individuals with disabilities. Fifty-eight…

Strategies are presented for fostering statewide program development and refinement in the field of special education. Sixteen observations about change are presented, with examples from various Washington statewide initiatives. Among the observations are the following: Reform should be promoted from within by empowering schools to explore…

This pamphlet guides parents of children with disabilities through the procedures for acquiring special education services in the state of Washington. Following an overview of special education, the pamphlet presents information on notice and consent procedures, confidentiality of records, individualized education programs (IEP), the placement…

The first of three sections in the booklet on Washington state standards describes administration of state and federal funds to programs for handicapped students. Discussion centers on such topics as fund distribution, state allotments for foster homes and hospitals, P.L. 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act) flow through funds,…