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The National Dissemination Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities provides this list of selected published materials that have been reviewed by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) for consistency with the IDEA Amendments of 1997 (Public Law 105-17) and the final implementing regulations, published March 12, 1999.
Assessment
- General State and District-Wide Assessments
- Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of
Education, 1999. This Topic Brief summarizes IDEA 97's final
regulations with respect to student participation in general state and
district-wide assessments.
- How to Conduct Alternate Assessments: Practices in Nine States (Mid-South Regional Resource Center, 1999)
- A paper which looks at what instruments are used and how test results
are scored in alternate assessments for students with disabilities in
nine states. States face significant challenges in selecting
appropriate methods and formats for alternate assessment, not the least
of which is having a system operational by July 1, 2000. Olsen (1998)
has suggested the following issues to address as a state decides how to
administer and score alternate assessments.
- Making Asessment Accomodations: A Toolkit for Educators
- Questions and Answers about Provisions in the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 Related to Students with
Disabilities and State and District-wide Assessments, Office of Special
Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education, 2000. This memo from
OSEP responds to frequently asked questions by parents, professionals,
assessment coordinators, State education agency staff, and others
regarding the provisions in IDEA '97 for including all children in
state and district-wide assessments. It is also available in Adobe
Acrobat (memo) format. (Note: A brief, family-friendly version (memo)
of this memo is also available).
- Summary of Research on Test Changes: An Empirical Basis for Defining Accommodations
- Mid-South Regional Resource Center, 2000 (Revised). This document,
authored by Tindal & Fuchs, looks at the IEP as a vehicle for
expressing a student's need for test accommodations. Research on test
changes is summarized, and issues of validity are examined, with
primary consideration given to using the research to implement sound
testing practices and make appropriate educational decisions.
- The Use of Tests when Making High-Stakes Decisions for Students:A Resource Guide for Educators and Policymakers
- Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 2000. This
resource guide explains basic test measurement standards and related
educational principles for determining whether tests used as part of
making high-stakes decisions for students provide accurate and fair
information. Information is also presented about four federal
nondiscrimination laws: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title
IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Title II of the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990.
- What Gets Tested, Gets Taught; Who Gets Tested, Gets Taught
- Mid-South Regional Resource Center, 1998. A paper which describes
various approaches taken by some states that have accepted the
challenge of creating links with the state adopted curriculum
frameworks.
- Who Takes the Alternate Assessment? - State
Criteria Mid-South Regional Resource Center, 1998. A document on the
question of whom to include in the alternate assessment. Directed to
states and local agencies that have yet to develop these criteria.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders
- Children with ADD/ADHD - Office
of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of Education,
1999. This short Topic Brief looks at the eligibility of children with
ADD/ADHD under IDEA 97's final regulations.
Behavior / Discipline / Safe Schools
- Addressing
Student Problem Behavior: An IEP Team's Introduction to Functional
Behavioral Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plans - Center
for Effective Collaboration and Practice, 1998. This document, part of
the series Addressing Student Problem Behavior, is a tool to help
educators understand the requirements of IDEA 97 with regard to
addressing behavior problems and implementing the fundamental
principles and techniques of functional behavioral assessment and
positive behavioral supports with students with behavior problems. Two
additional documents in the series are listed below.
- Addressing Student Problem Behavior: Part II: Conducting a Functional Assessment
- Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice, 1998. This
document, Part Two in the series Addressing Student Problem Behavior,
provides an in-depth discussion of the rationale for functional
behavioral assessment and instructions for how to conduct the process.
- Addressing Student Problem Behavior: Part III: Creating Positive Behavioral Intervention Plans and Supports
- Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice, June 2000. This
document, Part Three in the series Addressing Student Problem Behavior,
takes a closer look at using the results of the functional behavioral
assessment to create, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of
positive behavioral intervention plans and supports.
- Discipline Procedures
- Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of
Education, 1999. This Topic Brief presents a summary of the key points
associated with the discipline procedures in the final regulations.
- Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools
- Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice, 1998. This guide is
intended to help districts identify children in need of intervention
for potentially violent emotions and behaviors. It can be acquired from
the Center's Web site or through the U.S. Department of Education, at
1-877-433-7827.
- Interim Alternative Educational Settings: Related Research and Program Considerations
- Project FORUM, 1999. This document provides a brief perspective on
the emergence of the interim alternative educational setting (IAES)
concept, followed by a discussion of the unique characteristics of
IAESs. The last section reviews effective school-based interventions
for students with chronic conduct problems. The report can be purchased
by going to the National Association of State Directors of Special
Education (NASDSE) Web site, clicking on publications, and searching by
title. You can also contact NASDSE via mail or telephone, at: NASDSE,
1800 Diagonal Road, Suite 320, Alexandria, VA 22314. Telephone: (703)
519-3800.
- Overview of the Major Discipline Provisions in the 1999 IDEA Regulations
- Robert Silverstein, The Center for the Study and Advancement of
Disability Policy, 1999. This document summarizes the major provisions
related to disciplining of students with disabilities.
- Role of Education in a System of Care: Effectively Serving Children with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
- PDF file. Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice, 1999.
This is one of seven monographs and profiles effective school-based
mental health systems of care.
- Safe, Drug-Free, and Effective Schools for ALL Students: What Works!
- Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice, 1998. This report
profiles six different approaches in three different communities or
districts to addressing schoolwide prevention and reduction of violent
and aggressive behavior by all students.
- Safeguarding Our Children: An Action Guide
- Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of
Education, 2000. This guide follows up on the 1998 Early Warning,
Timely Response: A Guide To Safe Schools and is intended to help
schools and communities prevent school violence. The Action Guide
emphasizes early intervention and prevention, and the importance of
teamwork among educators, mental health professionals, parents, and
students. This guide is also available in Spanish.
- Schoolwide Approaches to Behavior Office of Special Education Programs - (OSEP),
U.S. Department of Education. A growing number of schools have found
that the most effective way to reduce suspensions, expulsions, office
referrals, and other behaviorally related actions is to emphasize a
schoolwide commitment and approach to behavior. This short fact sheet
lists key principles of practice and organizations that can provide
more information on the topic.
Charter Schools
- Applying Federal Civil Rights Laws to Public Charter Schools: Questions and Answers
- U.S. Department of Education and the Office for Civil Rights, May
2000. This publication provides important information on how public
charter schools may be developed and operated consistent with federal
nondiscrimination laws. The purpose of this publication is to assist
charter school developers and operators by making available a summary
of civil rights issues a pplicable to public schools. Two of the
sections deal specifically with students with disabilities: "Selection
of Facilities to Provide Access to Students with Disabilities" and
"Educating Students with Disabilities."
- Charter Schools and Students with Disabilities:Review of Existing Data
- Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), U.S.
Department of Education, 1998. This report, prepared by Research
Triangle Institute for OERI, provides a summary of existing research
data and of the policy-relevant analyses that have focused on charter
schools and students with disabilities. Although OERI has been replaced
by the Institute of Education Sciences, the report is still available
online in both text-only and PDF formats.
- Public Charter Schools
- Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of
Education, 1999. This Topic Brief looks at IDEA 97's two new
provisions with respect to public charter schools, the comments
received during the public comment period following release of proposed
regulations, and the changes incorporated into the final regulations.
Definitions
- Definition of "Day; Business day; School day"
- Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of
Education, 1999. This Topic Brief looks at the final regulations'
definitions of "day," "business day," and "school day," how these vary
from what had been proposed, and why the changes and the definitions
themselves were necessary.
- Developmental Delay Use of "Developmental Delay"
- by States and LEAs Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S.
Department of Education, 1999. This Topic Brief looks at the changes
made to the definition of "developmental delay" as part of the
reauthorization of IDEA and the release of final regulations.
Evaluations / Reevaluations
- Your Child's Evaluation
- NICHCY, 1999. A four-page description of the evaluation process in
easy-to-understand terms. It is also available in Spanish translation.
Many children have trouble in school. Some, like Laura, have trouble
learning to read or write. Others have a hard time remembering new
information. Still others may have trouble behaving themselves.
Children can have all sorts of problems. It's important to find out why
a child is not doing well in school. The child may have a disability.
By law, schools must provide special help to eligible children with
disabilities. This help is called special education and related
services.
Graduation
- Graduation with a Regular Diploma
- Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of
Education, 1999. This Topic Brief looks at the provisions proposed in
the Notice of Public Rulemaking (NPRM) with respect to graduation with
a regular diploma, the comments received during the public comment
period, and the changes that were made and released in the final
regulations.
Homelessness
- Educating Children with Disabilities Who Are Homeless
- Project FORUM, 2000. This 48-page document is the proceedings of a
policy forum held December 5-7, 1999. Federal laws pertaining to the
education of children with disabilities who are homeless are
summarized, examples of state services are provided, and challenges for
this population are identified. This document also include strategies
to address the identified challenges.
IDEA Amendments of 1997
- Amendments to IDEA '97 Final Regulations Released
- Families and Advocates Partnership for Education, 1999. This
family-friendly piece outlines some of the changes that have occurred
in the law and regulations that may be of particular interest to
parents. It is also available in Hmong translation.
- IDEA Amendments of 1997 - NICHCY, 1998. This 40-page News Digest looks in detail at the major changes that have taken place in the IDEA.
- The
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 Transition
Requirements: A Guide for States, Districts, Schools, Universities and
Families - Western Regional Resource Center and The College of
Education & Human Development, University of Minnesota, 2000. This
monograph looks closely at IDEA 97's transition requirements, suggests
a process for addressing those requirements in the IEP, and includes
many sample materials.
- Overheads: OSEP Regional Trainings on the IDEA '97 Regulations - NICHCY, 1999. These overheads, developed by NICHCY, were used by OSEP in regional trainings conducted on the regulations.
- Overheads: OSEP's Letters on IDEA: February 1999 to mid-March 2000
- Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of
Education, and NICHCY, 2000. OSEP receives letters from all over the
country asking for clarification on the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA). OSEP responds with letters that contain
interpretations of the requirements of IDEA and its implementing
regulations. These training overheads capture the key points of
selected OSEP letters dated from February 1999 to mid-March 2000.
- Overheads: Use of "Native Language" and "Limited English Proficiency" in Part B - Office
of Special Education Programs (OSEP). U.S. Department of Education,
and NICHCY, 2000. These training overheads from OSEP address the use
of "native language" and "limited English proficiency" in Part B
regulations.
- Overheads: Use of "Transportation" in Part B
- Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of
Education, and NICHCY, 2000. These training overheads from OSEP
address the use of "transportation" in Part B.
- An Overview of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (P.L. 105-17)
- ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education (ERIC EC),
June 1999. This ERIC Digest (#E576) looks briefly at some of the
changes that IDEA 97 brings to special education practice nationwide.
The document then lists highlights of the law in the areas of: outcomes
and standards, evaluation and curriculum, procedural safeguards,
discipline, early intervention services, and professional training and
preparation.
- Questions and Answers about the IDEA
- NICHCY, 2000. 29 pages of answers to many of the questions families
and professionals have about the requirements of the IDEA. A Spanish
version is also available.
- Rights and Responsibilities of Parents of Children with Disabilities
- ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education (ERIC EC),
June 1999. This ERIC Digest (#575) briefly lists parents' rights and
responsibilities in the special education process, describes what
parents can offer the IEP or IFSP process, and lists five national
organizations that can provide more information and assistance to
parents.
- User's Guide to the 1999 IDEA Regulations
- Robert Silverstein, The Center for the Study and Advancement of
Disability Policy, 1999. This 54-page guide summaries the changes made
to the IDEA with the 1997 amendments.
Inclusion
- Improving Education: The Promise of Inclusive Schooling
- National Institute for Urban School Improvement, 2000. This is a
short booklet developed to explain inclusion to general educators and
families. It includes principles of instruction, and is available in
English and Spanish.
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and IFSPs
- Guide to the Individualized Education Program
- Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of
Education, 2000. The purpose of this guidance is to assist educators,
parents, and State and local educational agencies in implementing the
requirements of Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) regarding Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for
children with disabilities, including preschool-aged children. (This
guide does not discuss the development of Individualized Family Service
Plans (IFSP) for infants and toddlers.)
- Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
- NICHCY, 1999. A 32-page guide to the legal requirements for
developing a student's IEP, including a verbatim reprinting of Appendix
A of the regulations.
- Regular Education Teachers as IEP Team Members
- Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of
Education, 1999. This Topic Brief looks at what the IDEA 97 requires in
terms of the regular education professional's participation on the IEP
team.
Mediation
- Overheads: Mediation
- Consortium for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education
(CADRE), 2001. These 34 overheads from CADRE can be used to provide
training on what the IDEA's requirements are with respect to mediation.
The overheads are also available Adobe Acrobat (overheads) format.
- Questions and Answers about Mediation
- Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of
Education, 2000. This nine-page OSEP document (OSEP Memorandum 01-5)
is intended to assist state and local education officials, as well as
parents of children with disabilities, in understanding the
requirements of Part B of the IDEA as applied to mediation. The memo is
also available in Adobe Acrobat (memo 01-5) format. The two-page OSEP
cover letter is available separately (also in Adobe Acrobat).
Preschool
- IDEA Requirements for Preschoolers: IDEA Early Childhood Policy and Practice Guide
- Division for Early Childhood, Council for Exceptional Children, and
ASPIIRE IDEA Partnership Project, 2000. This is the first in a series
of guides designed to answer important questions about what IDEA '97
now requires for the education of young children with disabilities,
ages birth through five years old. The guide also includes a pull-out
chart of selected IDEA provisions that address a preschooler's
challenging behavior. To order, call the Council for Exceptional
Children at 1-888-232-7733 or e-mail service@cec.sped.org. Ask for Product #P5373.
Private Schools
- Parentally-placed Children in Private Schools
- Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of
Education, 1999. This Topic Brief summarizes IDEA 97's final
regulations with respect to parentally-placed children in private
schools, with emphasis on major changes made from the Notice of Public
Rulemaking (NPRM).
- Questions
and Answers on Obligations of Public Agencies in Serving Children with
Disabilities Placed by Their Parents at Private Schools -
Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education,
2000. This memo from OSEP responds to requests from the field for
guidance regarding the nature and extent of school districts'
obligations to parentally-placed private school children with
disabilities under Part B of IDEA. The memo is also available in Adobe
Acrobat (OSEP memo) format.
Procedural Safeguards
- Rights and Responsibilities of Parents of Children with Disabilities
- ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education (ERIC EC),
June 1999. This ERIC Digest (#575) briefly lists parents' rights and
responsibilities in the special education process, describes what
parents can offer the IEP or IFSP process, and lists five national
organizations that can provide more information and assistance to
parents.
Related Services
- Related Services (ND16) - NICHCY, 2001. This 20-page
publication focuses upon the related services identified within IDEA
'97, including occupational and physical therapy, speech-language
pathology, transportation, and school health services. It describes
what each service involves, how children with disabilities become
eligible for the services, and how the services are determined,
delivered, and funded. This publication is also available in Spanish
(ND16-sp). www.nichcy.org/pubs/newsdig/nd16txt.htm
Special Education
- Questions Often Asked by Parents About Special Education Services
- NICHCY, 1999. This is a 12-page discussion of the IDEA which answers
questions about how students with disabilities access special education
and related services. This publication is also available in Spanish
(LG1-sp).
- Related Services (ND16)
- NICHCY, 2001. This 20-page publication focuses upon the related
services identified within IDEA '97, including occupational and
physical therapy, speech-language pathology, transportation, and school
health services. It describes what each service involves, how children
with disabilities become eligible for the services, and how the
services are determined, delivered, and funded. This publication is
also available in Spanish (ND16-sp).
- Rights and Responsibilities of Parents of Children with Disabilities
- ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education (ERIC EC),
June 1999. This ERIC Digest (#575) briefly lists parents' rights and
responsibilities in the special education process, describes what
parents can offer the IEP or IFSP process, and lists five national
organizations that can provide more information and assistance to
parents.
- Understanding the Special Education Process -
Families and Advocates Partnership for Education (FAPE), 1999. This
family-friendly paper shows, via a chart and explanatory text, a basic
overview of the special education process from the request for an
evaluation of the child to completion of the annual IEP meeting. The
document is also available in Spanish (FAPE document) and Hmong (FAPE
document).
Standards-based Education
- Every Single Student - PEER Project, 2000. This is a manual on standards-based education and students with disabilities in grades K-12.
- Students
with Disabilities in Standards-Based Reform: A Framing Paper for the
National Summit on the Shared Implementation of IDEA - IDEA
Partnership Projects, 2001. This framing paper discusses the multiple
perspectives, research issues, and ongoing challenges within
standards-based reforms. It addresses the benefits of standards-based
curriculum for students with disabilities and the increasing
participation of students with disabilities state and district-wide
assessments.
Transition
- The
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 Transition
Requirements: A Guide for States, Districts, Schools, Universities and
Families -Western Regional Resource Center, Mountain Plains
Regional Resource Center, Arizona State University West, and National
Transition Network, 2000. This monograph looks closely at IDEA 97's
transition requirements, suggests a process for addressing those
requirements in the IEP, and includes many sample materials.