The rights to educational self-determination under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

ABSTRACT

The United States Senate's unwillingness to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) notwithstanding, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) contains significant safeguards protecting the rights of students with disabilities, acknowledging their participation rights in decisions about their futures. In the first of just two examples, as students ‘age out’ of special education, they participate in developing individualised transition plans guiding their movements to post-school activities. Second, the IDEA transfers parental access rights to students, granting them sole control over their educational records on turning 18 unless they are adjudicated incompetent under state law.

Against this background, this paper opens by considering the U.S. Senate's reluctance to ratify the CRC. The paper next reviews the history of rights in the U.S. before examining how the IDEA affords students with disabilities considerable opportunities to participate in planning their futures both through transition planning and taking control over their educational records. The article ends by reflecting on how the IDEA comports with the CRC in protecting the rights of students with disabilities to self-determination.     

Who gets what? Impact of financial aid policies

Because of the radical reorientation of financial aid policies in the eighties, loan indebtness and the amount of federal subsidy of loans have increased dramatically. Paralleling these developments has been the growth of the proprietary sector of postsecondary education and the use of federal-supported financial aid by this sector's students. This article examines the impact of current financial aid policies on different sectors. Evidence appears clear that new policy is required to serve equity and human and social capital development. The success of the proprietary sector in growing its market share at the expense of other sectors—in particular, community colleges—provides some useful lessons about aggressive recruiting.     

Portfolio assessment: An alternate strategy for placement of the RN student in a baccalaureate program

Innovative Higher Education - This article presents portfolio as one alternate approach to assessment of prior learning as a means for placement of registered nurses in a large baccalaureate...     

Review of Brief School-Based Positive Psychological Interventions: a Taster for Teachers and Educators

Research studies looking into the effects of positive psychology interventions (PPIs) implemented in classrooms have yielded promising results, not only in terms of student well-being but also in terms of academic outcomes, school climate, and teacher well-being. However, a number of PPIs require relatively high levels of commitment from school administrators and teachers to put into place. This may result in many teachers dismissing PPIs across the board as too complicated to implement. The goal of the present article is thus to present a review of brief PPIs (BPPIs) based on positive psychology research in order to encourage involvement in such interventions at school. The BPPIs presented here have been categorized into four sections according to established areas of research in positive psychology, mindfulness, gratitude, strengths, and positive relationships, with precise examples of practices which have been successfully implemented and have demonstrated diverse benefits on student learning and well-being. The potential limitations of such interventions are also highlighted in order to foster best practices and cross-cultural adaptations of such projects.     

Contrasting disclosure practices and experiences of school support for Australian adolescents with cancer,cystic fibrosis and anorexia nervosa: parent perspectives

Schools in Australia are required to promote equitable access to education and provide support services to students with chronic health conditions (CHCs). This qualitative study was conducted to explore stakeholders’ experiences and perceptions regarding school-based support. In-depth interviews were conducted with 38 parents of upper secondary school students with cystic fibrosis, anorexia nervosa or cancer (which were illustrative of different types of severe congenital, mental health or somatic CHCs). This enabled comparison of findings to determine whether there were any patterns in perceptions and experiences that were tied to the different CHCs. Data were analysed using a modified grounded theory approach to identify themes. Even though analysis indicated that all cohorts of parents viewed informed educators as best placed to provide tailored school-based support, major cohort differences were reported in parental experiences of school-based support as well as parental diagnosis disclosure behaviour. This latter finding was associated with cohort-related perceptions of risk to their adolescent child. Barriers to school-based support were perceived as varying by condition, the advocacy experience of parents and the nature of health service supports. Taking these findings into account, modification of current policies and practices within education and health sectors may lead to more equitable educational outcomes.     

EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FRIENDS FOR LIFE PROGRAM IN PORTUGUESE SCHOOLS: STUDY WITH A SAMPLE OF HIGHLY ANXIOUS CHILDREN

The FRIENDS for Life program is a cognitive–behavioral group program that targets anxiety in children. The main purpose of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of the Portuguese version of the FRIENDS for Life Program, which was implemented in schools to reduce anxiety problems in a group of highly anxious children. The study used a quasi‐experimental research design with two groups of children, an intervention (n = 17) and a wait‐list control group (n = 21), aged 8 to 12 years old. The impact of the program in reducing anxiety symptoms as assessed by children and mothers was analyzed through the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders‐Revised (SCARED‐R). The results show a statistically significant post intervention effect on anxiety symptoms evaluated by the child, but not by the mother. The implications of these results for the prevention of anxiety disorders in Portuguese schools are discussed.