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This article describes rural and remote teacher training in low incidence (LI) disabilities through an alternative teaching pathway (ATP) and the efforts of one university's ATP program to address the ongoing critical special education teacher shortage in rural and remote school districts. The impact of the federal investment in recruiting/training teacher candidates in LI disabilities in rural and remote areas is described, and critical features of a distance education ATP programs in LI are discussed. Lessons learned over two decades of distance ATP delivery in LI are shared.

This study investigated (a) variables that predict amount of time students with severe disabilities spend in leisure and physical activity education and (b) teacher beliefs about provision of these services. Participants included 35 secondary special education teachers and 170 students with severe disabilities. Findings suggest that special education teachers provided recommended duration, but valued other curriculum domains over leisure and physical activity education. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) indicated individual teacher differences are a significant predictor of students' participation in leisure and physical activity. Further, HLM analysis indicated that teachers' beliefs about their role in providing leisure education explained a significant portion of the variance among teachers. Recommendations for policy development and teacher education are provided. (Contains 6 tables.)

The article describes the Utah Community-Based Transition Project, a federally funded project on transition planning for severely disabled youth. The planning process is aimed at facilitating coordination and expansion of community services for each graduate. Barriers facing states as they attempt to implement effective transition planning models are addressed. (Author/DB)