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This article presents the rationale, evidence base, and strategies for teachers and related service personnel to implement peer-assisted Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) modeling with their students with complex communication needs within inclusive settings across the school day. Specific steps for teaching the student's same-age peers to use aided AAC modeling are provided, as well as overall recommendations for implementation. Aided AAC modeling examples and strategies for collecting data on student AAC use are also included.

In this brief response to Agran et al., I provide data on the extent to which students with the most significant cognitive disabilities (i.e., those students participating in alternate assessments on alternate achievement standards) are separated educationally from their peers without disabilities. I further discuss additional factors that may be contributing to separate placements for students with the most significant disabilities. Finally, I provide some promising resources that may help to address these persistent issues. [For "Why Aren't Students with Severe Disabilities Being Placed in General Education Classrooms: Examining the Relations among Classroom Placement, Learner Outcomes, and Other Factors," by Agran et al., see EJ1246688.]

Little information exists regarding the statewide adoption of telepractice, the delivery of speech-language services at a distance through telecommunications, for addressing the documented shortage of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in rural communities. A statewide survey of directors of special education revealed that only two school districts out of 87 respondents had adopted telepractice as a means of addressing job vacancies, whereas 79% (n = 69) of the districts had never considered telepractice. A lack of knowledge about telepractice was not the primary barrier to adoption. Instead, concerns about the validity of telepractice, technology-related concerns, and inadequate support staff were noted as barriers to adoption.

Students with severe disabilities often experience limited social participation and few friendships at school. We describe a project to equip school teams to implement peer support arrangements and peer networks focused on friendships, inclusion, and learning. We adopted a phenomenological qualitative approach to learn how participants viewed these interventions within their schools, issues emerging during implementation, and the impact of these interventions. We discuss themes surrounding (a) the impact of the context and structure of the school on implementation, (b) participants' views on professional development related to these interventions, and (c) impact on students, peers, and the broader school community.

Supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to thrive requires careful consideration of multiple avenues of community involvement. Yet little attention has focused on the place of faith community participation in the lives of adults with IDD. We examined attendance at religious services using National Core Indicator data for a sample of 12,706 adults with IDD residing in 24 states. Almost half of adults (48.3%) reported attending a religious service in the past month, and more than one third (34.6%) attended 3 or more times. Religious involvement varied considerably based on a variety of individual (e.g., race, disability type, behavioral support needs, communication mode) and contextual factors (e.g., geographic locale, residential type). Moreover, monthly involvement in religious activities was much less common than participation in other community activities (i.e., exercise, entertainment, eating out, shopping). We offer recommendations for supporting the spiritual lives of adults with IDD, as well as highlight areas for future research and practice.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) flexibility requires states to develop and implement teacher effectiveness measures that consider student assessment results, including assessment results for students with disabilities participating in general and alternate assessments. We describe how alternate assessment results for students with significant cognitive disabilities could appropriately be used in teacher effectiveness measures. In addition, we discuss the unique parameters faced by teachers serving students with significant cognitive disabilities that may warrant a multiple measures approach to evaluating teacher effectiveness. Using one of the two national initiatives presently developing alternate assessments based on the Common Core State Standards as an example, we describe how these new assessments might be applied in measuring teacher effectiveness. Finally, we offer implications for both policy makers and practitioners in measuring teacher effectiveness for teachers serving students with significant cognitive disabilities participating in alternate assessments.

Teachers of students with moderate and severe disabilities must possess the skills and knowledge to address a unique set of needs and challenges. These may include, but are not limited to, management of challenging behaviors, performance of health-related procedures, use of assistive technology, and instruction using evidence-based strategies. This article describes the process undertaken by a higher education consortium of faculty with expertise in low incidence disabilities from across institutions of higher education in Kentucky to address the challenge of supporting 1st year teachers (i.e., interns) when assigned mentors and administrators who do not have expertise in this area. This consortium addressed this challenge by creating two documents: (a) an alignment of state standards to professional standards and (b) an addendum to the state internship materials. The intent of this article is to share the development process with others who may wish to design similar documents to address state and national standards for teacher interns. (Contains 2 figures.)

In this article we describe the new opportunities for postsecondary education available to students with intellectual disabilities (ID) through the Higher Education Opportunities Act of 2008. We also identify the importance of these opportunities for students with ID, and key strategies for ensuring that their college experience is an important next step to a valued career. We present important implications for high school teachers of students with ID in preparing students for pursuing postsecondary education opportunities, and provide student examples of successful participation in college classes, extracurricular activities, and career exploration activities. (Contains 2 figures.)

Little research has precisely defined the population of students participating in alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS). Therefore, the purpose of this article is twofold: (a) explicate the findings of a multistate study examining the characteristics of the population of students participating in AA-AAAS, and (b) discuss the implications of those findings for instruction and assessment that move us closer to understanding what these students know and can do. The article discusses the results of our study within and across these seven states, implications for practitioners, and future research directions that should be considered for both instruction and assessment. (Contains 8 tables.)

Self-advocacy and self-determination include the abilities to select personal goals, plan steps toward goals, assess one's progress, make choices, and self-monitor and self-evaluate one's behaviors. These are important skills in both current and future environments. Unfortunately, youth with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities often lack the opportunity to participate in the decisions that affect them on a daily basis. Even when opportunities for self-determined behaviors do arise, youth with significant disabilities often do not display these behaviors in the context of their school and everyday routines. How can their self-advocacy skills be strengthened? What can teachers and administrators do to support this growth? This article describes the step-by-step procedures utilized by the Kentucky Youth Advocacy Project (KYAP) team to train both students with disabilities and school personnel to increase self-advocacy and self-determination--and to support these skills with the development of strong communication systems. The KYAP approach is adapted from an evidence-based model for teaching students to identify, plan, and implement self-selected goals: the self-determined learning model of instruction (SDLMI; Agran, Blanchard, & Wehmeyer, 2000; Agran et al., 2003; Wehmeyer et al., 2000). The SDLMI has three primary phases, in which the student (a) selects a personal goal, (b) develops an action plan to achieve that goal and identifies potential barriers, and (c) self-evaluates progress and adjusts his or her plan or goal as needed. (Contains 10 figures and 1 table.)

This article addresses the application of the assessment triangle developed by the National Research Council (Pellegrino, Chudowsky, & Glaser, 2001), most specifically the cognition vertex of that triangle, to the unique learning characteristics of students with significant cognitive disabilities in developing and demonstrating academic competence. Given the inclusion of all students, including students with significant cognitive disabilities, in measures of large-scale educational assessment and accountability under the No Child Left Behind Act, it is essential to examine how the primary elements of knowledge representation and competence identified by Pellegrino et al. for all students have special ramifications for students with significant cognitive disabilities. It is only in the development of such a model of competence that it is possible to construct alternate assessments for these students that validly represent what these students know and can do. (Contains 1 note.)

We conducted an online statewide survey of teachers of students with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities to determine the extent to which their students were included in school extracurricular and community recreation activities. For the 252 teacher respondents who indicated that their primary caseload consisted of students with significant intellectual disabilities, we report the numbers of students participating in school and community activities and the primary type of support students required to participate in each activity. Finally, we identify implications for practitioners who want to increase the participation of students with significant disabilities in school and community activities.

Recreation and leisure activities play a vital role in all people's lives, and educators have long recognized that such activities are an important instructional emphasis for students with moderate and severe disabilities. This article offers teachers practical strategies for including their students with disabilities in school extracurricular activities, as well as in community recreation activities. Recreation, leisure, and extracurricular involvement are essential for developing friendships, increasing the likelihood of community integration and postschool success, and improving the overall quality of life. Moreover, extracurricular involvement--through such activities as participating in science programs, using computers, practicing foreign languages, working on yearbooks, and participating in 4-H clubs can also give students with moderate and severe disabilities many opportunities to practice and extend their academic skills. (Contains 1 table.)

With the provisions of both the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 1997 and 2004), educators must ensure that all students have the opportunity to participate and progress in the general curriculum. These requirements are further bolstered by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; all students between Grades 3 and 8 are to be tested annually in math and language arts, and students are to be tested in these subjects at least once during their high school years as well. Yet one area of academic content instruction that has received little attention for students with disabilities is that of foreign languages. In this article, the authors present a rationale for why foreign language instruction can be valuable for all students and provide strategies for successful inclusion of students with disabilities in foreign language classes, with examples of students with mild and significant cognitive disabilities.

A study investigated the extent to which alternate assessment scores for 41 12th-graders in Kentucky's Alternate Portfolio Program for students with significant disabilities correlated with a measure of post-school outcomes approximately one year after completing school. No significant relationship was found between these two measures. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

This article sketches the historical context for the development of alternate assessment for students with disabilities, describes alternate assessment, and identifies some of the potential benefits of including students with significant disabilities in large-scale assessment. The correlation between alternate assessment scores and the implementation of best practices is discussed. (Author/CR)

A study of 206 Kentucky special education teachers examined the amount of time required on alternative assessment. Results found teachers spend many hours outside of class time completing one portfolio. Instructional variables, such as the extent to which portfolio items are embedded into instruction, are strongly related to student scores. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

This article describes how educational professionals, community members, students and parents in Jessamine County, Kentucky, worked together to help students with moderate and severe disabilities transition after high school graduation. It discusses how elective coursework was successfully combined with functional, community-based, education centered, on-the-job training and preparation for adult life. (CR)

A study investigated the extent to which scores in Kentucky's statewide alternate assessment program for 60 students with severe disabilities correlated with measures of program quality and overall school effectiveness. Results indicated a significant relationship between overall program quality and scores, but not between scores and Individualized Educational Program quality. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

This article analyzes how Kentucky and Maryland have addressed basic issues in developing alternate assessment for students with disabilities who cannot be included within regular state and local district education assessment and accountability measures. Issues include why they chose the formats, standards, and implementation systems they did and the intended and unintended consequences of these decisions. (Contains references.) (Author/DB)

A statewide survey of Kentucky teachers of students with moderate and severe disabilities participating in an alternate assessment and accountability system found that teachers recognized specific benefits (such as students learning to follow individualized schedules) but also expressed frustration with time required to complete student assessment portfolios and concern over scoring reliability. (Author/DB)

A survey of 44 national authorities in best practices for students with severe cognitive disabilities found a high degree of professional congruence on the core of best practices embodied in the performance criteria for Kentucky's alternate assessment for students with significant disabilities. Concerns about more limited learner outcomes are discussed. (Author/CR)

Under the 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments, all states must now include students with disabilities in statewide and districtwide educational assessments. So far, Kentucky is the only state with a comprehensive alternative portfolio-assessment program for students unable to participate in "regular" testing programs. (13 references) (MLH)

Describes Kentucky's inclusion of all students in its educational assessment and accountability system. Describes how this system operates at three elementary schools to drive high expectations for all students and include students with disabilities in the general education curriculum. Students participate in either the standard assessment or alternate portfolio assessment. (DB)

Describes how high school peer tutoring programs can enhance educational outcomes, including increased academic performance, for students with and without moderate and severe disabilities. The role of such programs in educational restructuring is addressed, as is the way such programs can promote general education class participation and community inclusion for students with significant disabilities. (DB)

This article describes the development of Kentucky's alternative assessment for students with disabilities, including the content and scoring standards for the Alternate Portfolio. Specific examples of entries at each grade are given. Initial implementation data are presented, and critical issues in the development of alternate statewide assessment are discussed. (Author/CR)

Comments on "On What Basis Hope? Modern Progress and Postmodern Possibility" (Danforth), which argues that advances in social science have had a negative impact on the lives of individuals with mental retardation. Argues that Danforth distorts the contributions of the scientific method in positively affecting human lives. (CR)

A program used to teach moderately to severely mentally handicapped students to select the lower priced items in actual shopping activities is described. Through a five-phase process, students are taught to compare prices themselves as well as take into consideration variations in the sizes of containers and varying product weights. (VW)

This response to comments on "Accountability for All Students: Kentucky's Alternate Portfolio Assessment for Students with Moderate and Severe Cognitive Disabilities" (Kleinert and others), discusses changes in the ways Alternate Portfolios are now scored and answers concerns on the inclusion of students with mild and severe disabilities in portfolio assessments. (CR)