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An analysis was conducted of the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) research evidence base on the effectiveness of replicable education interventions. Most interventions were found to have little or no support from technically adequate research studies, and intervention effect sizes were of questionable magnitude to meet education policy goals. These findings painted a dim picture of the evidence base on education interventions and indicated a need for new approaches, including a reexamination of federal reliance on experimental impact research as the basis for gauging intervention effectiveness.

This article discusses the research reported in this special issue with respect to implications for policy, practice, and future research. The discussion focuses on the functions of research in reporting, enlightenment and conceptualization, short-run empiricism, and testing for replication. The article concludes by calling for systematic and sustained research on assessment accommodations.

Universally designed assessments are designed and developed to allow participation of the widest possible range of students, in a way that results in valid inferences about performance on grade-level standards for all students who participate in the assessment. This paper explores the development of universal design and considers its application to large-scale assessments. Building on universal design principles presented by the Center for Universal Design (Center for Universal Design, 1997), seven elements of universally designed assessments are identified and described. These elements were derived from a review of literature on universal design, assessment and instructional design, and research on topics such as assessment accommodations (Thompson, Johnstone, & Thurlow, 2002). The seven elements are: (1) Inclusive assessment population; (2) Precisely defined constructs; (3) Accessible, non-biased items; (4) Amenable to accommodations; (5) Simple, clear, and intuitive instructions and procedures; (6) Maximum readability and comprehensibility; and (7) Maximum legibility. Each of the elements is explored in this paper. Numerous resources relevant to each of the elements are identified, with specific suggestions for ways in which assessments can be designed to meet the needs of the widest range of students possible. Challenges and opportunities arising from the application of universally designed assessments are identified. (Contains 4 tables.)

Research on special education technology is reviewed, focusing on analytic research, systemic research, and the emergence of constructivism. Federal research projects on technology, sponsored by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), are discussed, and the use of specific methodologies is analyzed. OSEP projects funded under the Technology, Educational Media, and Materials program are listed. (CR)

This paper contrasts research knowledge and practice knowledge in special education; describes factors that moderate the influence of research on practice, including teacher knowledge and learning, teacher attitudes and beliefs, and context; and considers issues in reconceptualizing the relationship between research and practice in special education. (Author/JDD)

The article offers guidance on integrating computer software into instruction during the instructional phases of independent practice and assessment. Desirable software features for independent practice include a quick response rate, escalating feedback, and motivational features. Assessment can be conducted by using data stored by the computer, direct observation, or paper-and-pencil quizzes. (DB)

Case studies of four elementary-school special education teachers who used computers were conducted to describe their beliefs and knowledge about computers, their planning and decision-making processes, and patterns of computer use in the classroom. Subjects mostly adapted computers to fit previous educational goals and routines. (Author/PB)

In 2 studies, 36 junior high students and 66 intermediate-level students with mild disabilities worked together to complete computerized instructional activities on capitalization and punctuation. The intervention produced significant increases in behaviors that were positively related with learning but did not produce significant increases in learning. (Author/JDD)

The study attempts to identify critical issues in the implementation of microcomputers in special education through an indepth description of microcomputer use with mildly handicapped students in one school district. Few teachers had yet developed a stable pattern of computer use. Problems of access, training, and curriculum integration were identified. (DB)

The article focuses on the first two of six elements of effective instruction (warm-up and introductory activity) and applies them to the use of computer software aids in special education. Examples of suitable warm-up and introductory activities are provided. (DB)

Learning-disabled sixth through eighth grade students (n=25) received vocabulary instruction involving matching negation prefixes to root words. The students used an instructional computer game or a computer program that operated identically but without game features. Both programs produced equal gains in task skill, but the game produced higher levels of continuing motivation. (Author/JDD)

Learning disabled students can make more effective use of computer assisted instruction if they incorporate four metacognitive strategies: (1) awareness of task goals, (2) knowledge of applicable learning strategies, (3) selection of appropriate learning strategies, and (4) self-monitoring. (DB)

Forty special education teachers rated usefulness and preferences concerning software evaluation information. Highest usefulness ratings were given to information on hardware compatibility, appropriateness for students, and software operation and use. The most preferred information source was software tryout, followed by software documentation/manuals and written descriptions from reviews. (Author/JDD)

Studies the use of computer-assisted instruction and cooperative learning with dyads of mildly handicapped students. Group processes; Goal structures; Computer program; Means and standard deviations for subject characteristics, pretest and posttest performance; Experimental and control interventions.

Focuses on the state of educational research in the United States. Research on special education; Research innovations; Existing gaps between educational research and practice; Active roles for teachers in special education; Interactions between educational researchers and practitioners.

Investigates the effects of computer games on the continuing motivation of learning disabled students to engage in an academic task subsequent to computer instruction. Factors that influence the effects of inducements upon subsequent continuing motivation; Patterns of subject responses produced by game and nongame computer programs; Theoretical explanations for the positive effect of the computer game on continuing motivation.