This paper describes the professional development team (PDT) concept, reports results of a study of the development and year-long implementation of a PDT, and describes the effects of the PDT on school personnel and on subsequent implementation of a professional development school (PDS). The PDT is presented as a viable option for improving K-12…

This case study describes the educational history and current program of Mike, a mainstreamed sixth-grader with deaf-blindness. It addresses the boy's successes and the ongoing challenges faced by his family, his educational team, and his peers. Background information notes his diagnosis of total blindness and moderate to severe hearing loss, his…

This document contains 88 authentic task development records that were selected from those developed by teams of secondary and postsecondary teachers at a conference to familiarize educators with Wisconsin's new performance-based assessment system. Presented first is an annotated list of the 17 Wisconsin Learner Outcomes that served as the…

This proceedings include the following papers: "Developing a District Building Based Team" (Kathy Heller and Michelle Till); "Wheelchair Rhythmic Sportive Gymnastics" (Gertrude Krombholz and Atja Gotzova-Kumpf); "Team Building in Inclusion Settings" (Robert Weber); "Inclusion: Identifying Student Needs" (Jeff Runge); "Overview of the Role of…

This guidebook to developing programs which include children with disabilities in general education classrooms offers a step-by-step process, specific instructions, scheduling helps, and master forms. An introduction (Section I) describes the COACH (Choosing Options and Accommodations for Children) approach identifying such assumptions as the…

This dissertation is a qualitative study that explores how three teams of humanities teachers at Capital High School (Charleston, West Virginia) tried to create and sustain an environment in which they could make decisions over curriculum, pedagogy, and school self-governance. The study also examines what empowerment means to the teachers in a…

This document is comprised of two separate publications relating to the Casco Bay Partnership for Workplace Education; the Final Performance Report and the Final Evaluation Report. The Casco Bay Partnership for Workplace Education, as described in the Final Performance Report, was a collaborative workplace literacy project involving the University…

In this information packet for special education administrators, the literature on collaboration between regular and special educators is reviewed, issues relative to the implementation of collaboration are discussed, and eight model sites are described. After an introduction, distinctions between collaboration and consultation are drawn. Key…

This practicum, which sought to improve parents' involvement in the development of educational goals for their children with disabilities, had three objectives: improved attendance by parents at Individual Education Plan (IEP) conferences, increased parent participation in the decision-making process during IEP development, and enhanced parent…

This core curriculum is designed for use in helping employees participating in a workplace-specific basic skills program develop basic team-building skills while simultaneously developing basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills. Although many of the instructional materials and sample forms included are applicable to employees in most…

Counseling psychologists have a place on professional development school (PDS) leadership teams at local schools working with universities to train teachers and improve schools. They can help team members to create healthy relationships, to function more effectively, and to develop a healthy educational environment. Two critical functions that…

The 1990 amendments to the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984 require the National Assessment of Vocational Education (NAVE) to evaluate integration of academic and vocational education. NAVE's study has three integration goals: (1) to examine the themes and research issues; (2) to identify data and data gaps; and (3) to address…

The Next Steps Conference was one of a series of meetings held for the purpose of increasing the capacity of family members, professionals, and other interested citizens to work together on behalf of children who have serious emotional disorders and to shape an agenda for improved services. The conference was organized around four major issues:…

The five issues in volume 21 of this newsletter report on issues and happenings in the education of handicapped students. Feature articles include: "Facilitating Consultation through Peer Collaboration" (Marleen C. Pugach and Lawrence J. Johnson); "Homeless Children: Educational Strategies for School Personnel" (Michelle F. Linehan); "Curriculum…

Participatory research is an approach that calls for a democratic interaction between the researcher and those among whom the research is conducted. While this approach has been implemented with both individuals and groups in a wide variety of settings such as geographic communities, workplace situations, adult learning groups, community issue…