Describes an interdisciplinary transition model currently used in rural Wisconsin for special needs students that links vocational assessment, Individualized Education Plan development, program placement, instructional support, exit transition conferences, and postschool followup. Stresses collaboration among students, parents, educators, and…

Surveys, interviews, and observations were carried out at six remote Alaska village schools to explore perceptions and experiences of teachers and aides related to inclusionary practices for students with disabilities. Findings focus on personal stories affecting participants' perceptions, barriers and supports for inclusionary practices, and the…

A course at the University of Lethbridge (Alberta) uses student portfolios of social and cultural perspectives on disabilities to challenge rural preservice teachers' attitudes toward disabilities and the philosophy of inclusion. Elements of the portfolio are described. The particular value of this method for rural preservice teachers and the…

Rural communities have strengths and weaknesses that affect the development of transitional programs for students with disabilities. These community characteristics were factored into a federally funded, graduate-level training program called Project CREST (Collaboration in Rural Education for Special Teachers), which provided training stipends…

In 1990 the Michigan Inclusive Education Initiative was implemented by the state department of education to facilitate full inclusion of disabled students into regular classroom settings. This paper reports on implementation of inclusive education within the Marquette-Alger Intermediate School District (MAISD) in the Upper Peninsula region of…

This bibliography provides an introduction to literature regarding strategies for educational improvement within the rural context. Ninety-three journal articles and books cover the following areas: (1) curriculum design and teaching methods, including research reports, case studies of improvement programs, and manuals used in implementing or…

This review of the literature, litigation, and legislation summarizes special education classification patterns for children with disabilities in the rural Southeast. Focus is particularly on those socially constructed and culture bound disabilities (such as specific learning disabilities (SLD), educable mental retardation (EMR), and mild…

Providing cost-effective services in 15 counties of Southeast Kansas, the Infant and Early Childhood Intervention Program (IECIP) teaches parents to provide daily one-to-one therapy in gross and fine perceptual motor development, speech and language development, social adjustment, and behavior management for developmentally delayed children from…

To address rural schools' growing need for teachers who can teach in both elementary and special education, Arkansas College has begun a 4-year program of dual certification that will prepare teachers for elementary and special education assignments. Serving a largely rural area, Arkansas College has first hand experience with the problems facing…

Phase 2 of a three-phase project examined the secondary education background and employment adjustment of handicapped youth in rural counties in Florida. (Phase 1 was a pilot study.) Subjects were former special education students in five rural project counties who had been identified as needing services in the area of educable mental retardation,…

A model of service delivery to rural handicapped children trains classroom teachers onsite to be "Cooperative Extension Service Agents" within their schools. University faculty bring graduate coursework to the school site and "Agent" teachers provide special education inservice assistance to fellow teachers, facilitating local…

Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), ICW Employment Services of Indiana County, ARIN Intermediate Unit #28, and Indiana County Vo-Tech cooperated in a 1-year pilot project to explore employment opportunities for rural high school seniors with mild disabilities. These agencies created a four-tier program that included job preparation, job…

This proceedings contains 57 presentations and presentation summaries concerned with rural special education. The papers are arranged in 11 sections: impacting governmental policy, at risk, collaborative education models, early childhood education, gifted, multicultural, parents and families, preservice and inservice teacher education, technology,…

This paper discusses provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA) and suggests strategies for maximizing existing resources in rural settings to meet the requirements of the law. The purposes of this paper are to: (1) discuss personnel preparation data relevant to ensuring that all individuals possess the necessary…

The community-based rehabilitation model has successfully trained community members in rural areas of Asia, Africa, and Latin America to deliver educational and rehabilitation services to disabled individuals and their families. Practices applicable to improving educational and rehabilitation services in the United States involve staff…