Intervention in School and Clinic

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act is potentially the most significant educational initiative to have been enacted in decades. Among the salient elements of this initiative are requirements that all students have qualified teachers and be given the opportunity to attend high-quality schools. The NCLB legislation also requires that states raise academic achievement levels for all students, including those with disabilities. Linked to these components and related issues, this article discusses the major components of the NCLB along with implications and recommendations for educators.

The Individualized Educational Program (IEP) is the foundation of instruction for individuals with disabilities. Therefore, learning to write and attach meaning to these documents is critical for preservice teachers. This article explores an approach to teaching IEPs during teacher preparation, which encourages preservice teachers to view the IEP as a relevant, purposeful document; reflect on their own learning styles; and consider the impact of the IEP on the learner. Implications for using this approach in teacher education programs are discussed.

Secondary schools and postsecondary institutions differ in their obligations to students with disabilities under the regulations of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This article presents several of the key differences between Subpart D, which applies to secondary schools, and Subpart E, which applies to postsecondary institutions. Implications of these differences for the transition process are discussed.

When students arrive at content classes reading below grade level, teachers are challenged to deliver complex content. Also, students often study facts without reaching larger concepts. Research at the University of Oregon has concluded that if the teacher takes responsibility for identifying and elucidating the concept within course materials, both of these difficulties can be overcome. Overt identification of concepts and their characteristics and the deliberate use of graphic organizers reduce the reading comprehension demands placed on students with low abilities. Using the functional taxonomy presented, teachers can develop effective student exercises and assessments. An example shows that students provided with the concept-based approach outperformed students in a more traditional classroom on a problem-solving task.