The article briefly reviews the factors that may contribute to the relatively low educational achievement of Mexican American students, and focuses more specifically on recent literature that illuminates what may be a style of learning and problem solving that is unique to members of this group. (DLS)

A study of 150 students, who were referred to school study teams, investigated schools' classification decisions on low IQ students with academic and behavioral problems and found a decline in the identification rates of mild mental retardation. Compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is discussed. (CR)

Thirty-five staff members' views on developmental assessment in a multicultural early childhood setting are described and used to initiate a critique of current practice in assessment of young children. Staff expressed a range of opinions from endorsement to frank rejection of the utility, validity, and ethics of developmental assessment.…

Examines the purpose and function of stereotypical perceptions in graduate school and the early phases of career development relative to the author's experiences and observations as a Black female in academe. Points out ways that the political culture and institutional structures of the academic community shape and perpetuate racism, sexism, and…

Thirty-seven leading educators participated in a Delphi technique survey regarding future directions in education of students with disabilities, focusing on inclusion and integration, labeling and classification, personnel preparation, instruction and services, and research. Respondents predicted that increasing inclusion will occur, and teachers…

Asserts that when teachers pose problems that yield solutions running counter to students' perceptions, it results in enhanced student interest and motivation and improves thinking skills. Provides examples and three suggested activities for implementing the approach. (CFR)

Describes how a democratic classroom and flexible grouping benefit students who arrive "at risk." Illustrates how acting on these ideas has put an end to labeling in the author's first-grade classroom. Describes how many current classroom practices are pervasively autocratic rather than democratic. Discusses district and community support, and…

During their elementary school years, many students develop a dislike for school. Their alienation is due partly to the school environment and discouraging educator behaviors. Children sense they are overly assessed and classified, arbitrarily promoted, confined to large groups, and bound to a routine work schedule that values competition and…

School leaders are expected to transcend the confines of conventional instruction and implement effective measures to serve the growing population of language-minority students. Understanding students' backgrounds and needs for belonging, health care, and educational success is essential. Strategies for learning, avoiding stereotypes, and…

Discusses issues influencing the placement of young children with disabilities, including individual educational plans, labeling, philosophy-based decisions, the Regular Education Initiative, and full inclusion. Maintains that decisions regarding educational programs with disabilities must be based on individual educational needs, and notes that…

Despite public skepticism regarding steadily increasing numbers of learning-disabled students, most experts agree that 5 percent of schoolchildren suffer severe difficulties with language and other skills. There are three explanations: remediation is ineffective after second grade; identification comes too late; and federal policies overlook…

In this paper, the author argues for a more humanistic approach to children and young people who face difficulties in their personal and social lives. Increasingly, young people in the developed world who are troubled or troublesome in school or in their neighbourhoods are categorised and labelled in terms of psychiatric disorder. The number of…

Individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorder (COD) present unique challenges for counselors. When individuals are incarcerated, they suffer unique forms of losses, including the loss and grief of their family members. In addition, they often struggle with stigma and cultural stereotypes that are oppressive and…

This paper reviews the literature on assessment bias issues in special education. While assessment instruments yielding a single IQ score are seen as useful components in a comprehensive multifactored assessment, and are the primary tool of diagnosis for mental retardation, they are found to be irrelevant when applied to students with learning…

This speech addresses the restructuring of special and regular education into one integrated system in a third generation of school reform. Six serious issues demonstrate the need for reform: (1) poor quality of disability identification and evaluation; (2) a classification system governed by fads rather than student needs; (3) minimal…