Profiling the Quality of Educational Programs for Adolescents With Disabilities

Abstract

In this column, Bridging Research and Practice, three of the federally funded special education research institutes report to you, the practitioner, on their progress in areas that will be particularly helpful to you in working with your students. The U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has funded these three research institutes to study specific curricular and instructional interventions that will accelerate the learning of students with disabilities in curricular areas: CASL (Center on Accelerating Student Learning) focuses on accelerating reading, math, and writing development in Grades K-3. The Directors of CASI. are Lynn and Doug Fuchs of Vanderbilt University. CASL research sites are also located at Columbia University (Joanna Williams) and the University of Maryland (Steve Graham and Karen Harris). REACH (Research Institute lo Accelerate Content Learning Through High Support for Students With Disabilities in Grades 4- 8) is examining interventions that reflect high expectations, content, and support for students. The Director of REACH is Catherine Cobb Morocco at Education Development Center in Newton, MA. Research partners include the University of Michigan (Annemarie Palincsar and Shirley Magnusson), the University of Delaware (Ralph Eerretti. Charles MacArthur, and Cynthia Okolo), and the University of Puget Sound (John Woodward). The Institute for Academic Access (lAA) is conducting research to develop instructional methods and materials to provide students with authentic access to the high school general curriculum. The Institute Directors are Don Deshler and Jean Schumaker of the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Research partners include the University of Oregon and school districts in Kansas, California, Washington, and Oregon. This issue features the CASL (Center on Accelerating Student Learning].