In association with three months of training in clerical tasks at a community job site, two 19-year-old mentally retarded females demonstrated an increase in incidental behaviors, defined as behaviors which increased independence in a job setting but did not receive direct instruction from staff. (Author/JW)

This teacher's guide is designed for use in presenting a six-unit course in managing personal matters that is part of a life skills series intended to help students become more self-sufficient in their personal and professional lives. The course's six instructional units cover these topics: personal records; risk management; health, life, and…

Results of a study surveying a sample of students from grade 12 (with and without business training) indicated that most high school graduates do not have business skills sufficient to manage their personal business, and that business educators are not providing these skills. Survey questionnaire and statistical tables are appended. (MF)

This curriculum guide, based on the position that career education is a major focus of the educational program, is designed to assist students with disabilities to become productive workers and independent adults. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the history and importance of career education for children with disabilities. The features of career…

This report on transition services for students with disabilities in Nebraska schools begins with an outline of the development of transition programming as part of special education services, noting federal legislation in this area and the importance of intra-agency and inter-agency cooperative agreements. The role of career education in the…

This report profiles 36 successful programs undertaken by businesses outside Arkansas to help at-risk students (particularly minorities) in high school or the early years of college to acquire life skills. Published descriptions of hundreds of programs were reviewed, from which 36 were selected for inclusion in this report. These programs are…

An overview of theory, assessment design, and programming in career development projects for special education students is presented, and 39 assessment instruments are reviewed. Components of career-vocational program development are identified, and steps in the developmental flow for assessment, evaluation, and curriculum design are listed. A…

A deliberate, systematic approach is presented for assisting students with handicaps through the transition process from school to adult life. The key elements of transition are identified as: longitudinal vocational and independent living skills training; cooperative and interagency transition planning; parent, student, employer, and…

Vocational enrollment is declining because of an increase in academic requirements. Because job skills are changing so rapidly, employers are increasingly choosing to provide their own vocational training to students who have mastered standard academic requirements. However, the lack of hands-on methodology in academic curricula and the lack of…

The guide is intended to provide a framework for helping special education students acquire those skills which will enable them to live and/or work in the community after high school. Based on a functional/critical skills model, the curriculum is organized in four learning domains: domestic (personal health care, home care, and family life/social…

Job Training Partnership Act funds were provided for the Options for Young Mothers project in a mid-sized Texas community. The program was developed and 14 clients were selected. The main components of the program were life skills, General Educational Development (GED) training, counseling, and basic skills training and job placement (Jobs). The…

This volume surveys major sources of published data on the academic performance of California public secondary school students and compares current performance levels to those attained in the State in the recent past, as well as to national trends. Chapter I is an introduction. Chapter II, "General Measures of Student Preparation,"…

A training model for the use of rational behavior therapy (RBT) with emotionally disturbed adolescents in a school setting is presented, including a structured, didactic format consisting of five basic RBT training techniques. The training sessions, lasting 10 weeks each, are described. Also presented is the organization for the actual classroom…

The article discusses four major objectives of programs in the state of Oregon for students with severe disabilities: building social skills and a social network; building community competence; building a work history; and ensuring that parents have an active involvement in their children's program and future. (Author/JW)

As participants in a "choice training" program, three moderately/severely handicapped adolescents were reinforced or prompted first to select a leisure activity and then to sustain the activity for gradually longer periods of time with decreasing teacher supervision. Results included sustained activity maintenance from one week to four months…