Wrightslaw: IDEA 2004

In the well-researched and compelling Standardized Minds, former journalist and economist Peter Sacks launches an exhaustive attack on the national obsession with testing — and lands a few hits. If you think you’ve heard every argument against standardized tests, think again. Sacks methodically picks away at our feeble attempts to measure the mind, reaching back into the history of testing with unsettling revelations about the creation of the first intelligence test and its many flaws. He deftly illustrates how the belief of inferior cultures motivated the creator of the SAT college entrance exam and takes on all that standardized testing has wrought: ability grouping, gifted programs, state accountability efforts — even the effect on parents whose perceptions of their own children are often shaken by scores on a sheet of paper. Standardized Minds is a persuasive must-read for parents, educators, and lawmakers that challenges our basic assumptions about intelligence and pays homage to the talented minds we may have overlooked in our fervor to rate the human brain.

The Complete Guide to Special Education, Third Edition, explores the special education process from testing and diagnosis to IEP meetings and advocating for special needs children. The stages of identification, assessment, and intervention are explained step-by-step to help you better understand special needs students’ legal rights and how to become an active, effective member of a child’s educational team. This third edition has been revised throughout and discusses Response to Intervention (RTI); provides updates on new laws and regulations; expands coverage of autism spectrum disorders and bipolar disorder; and includes a revamped Resources section for teachers and parents.

Kinneret feels terrible-she can’t concentrate in class, she’s having nightmares, and her teachers think she is lazy. She fantasizes that a big, white bird will come and carry her away from all of her troubles. Fifth-grade brings someone else to help her, though - a new special education teacher who recognizes that Kinneret is neither lazy nor irresponsible.

This practical manual offers essential information and guidance for anyone involved with ADA issues in higher education settings. Fundamental principles and actual clinical and administrative procedures are outlined for evaluating, documenting, and accommodating a wide range of mental and physical impairments.

Wrightslaw: No Child Left Behind includes the full text of the No Child Left Behind Act with analysis, interpretation & commentary; advocacy strategies, tips, sample letters; and the No Child Left Behind CD-ROM of Publications & Resources.

Increasingly, teachers are learning about the important role of Response to Intervention (RTI) in the success of every child. RTI is a multifaceted approach that provides immediate, relevant, and research-based services and interventions to students in general, compensatory, and special education. Written by two legal and special education experts, this concise, reader-friendly guide introduces educators to the purpose, core principles, legal basis, benefits, and application of this service delivery model.