This study reports the results of a statewide survey of the beliefs and practices, regarding curriculum, of 341 elementary and secondary special education teachers serving students with a variety of disabilities. Findings indicate that (a) teacher training in curriculum development occurs mostly on the job; (b) teachers want training in teaching compensatory skills and life skills; (c) teachers believe that the IEP constitutes the curriculum for students with disabilities; (d) teacher judgment primarily guides the content of classroom instruction; (e) teachers focus principally on academic remediation versus life-skill or other instruction; (f) curriculum focus varies little across service-delivery models, but does vary by grade level; and (g) minimal articulation of curriculum exists across grade levels.
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