The use of evidence-based practices has become a focus in education since the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act reauthorization of 2004 required using practices based on scientific research to improve student outcomes. Although many teachers may not have the time or expertise to evaluate the research base for these practices, the prevalence of Internet resources has increased their access to such information. However, web sites differ in type and quality of information provided. The purpose of this study was to examine the trustworthiness of web sites claiming to disseminate evidence-based practices in the area of special education or related services. Of the 47 web sites identified, approximately 57% met the criteria for trust or trust with caution, and 43% were labeled do not trust. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

BACKGROUND: Transition planning services for students with disabilities are mandated by IDEA 2004, but getting all the right folks to the table to plan for this transition is difficult to accomplish. OBJECTIVE: CIRCLES is a new model for interagency collaboration in transition planning. It includes three levels of teams, working together to identify specific post-school goals for students with disabilities, and developing a series of steps to help each student achieve them. METHODS: This study utilized focus groups of key members of the different levels of teams involved to identify successes and challenges in the first year of implementation of this new model. RESULTS:The CIRCLES model of service delivery improved agency members' sense of collaboration and awareness of services available in their districts. CONCLUSIONS: Although more research is needed, CIRCLES as a service delivery model increases interagency collaboration for transition planning for students with disabilities.

Communicating Interagency Relationships and Collaborative Linkages for Exceptional Students (CIRCLES) is a transition-planning service delivery model designed to guide schools in implementing interagency collaboration. This study examined the impact of CIRCLES on students’ self-determination and participation in individualized education program (IEP) meetings. Forty-four schools located in the Southeast United States were assigned randomly into either the CIRCLES or business-as-usual (BAU) conditions, and 877 high school students with disabilities were included in the analyses. Two-level hierarchical linear models, with students at Level 1 and schools at Level 2, examined the effectiveness of CIRCLES. Results indicated students in the CIRCLES condition had higher levels of self-determination (Hedges’s g = .06–.38) and greater IEP participation (Hedges’s g = .77). Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are provided.

Providing high-quality special education services in rural settings has a variety of challenges such as geographic isolation and a lack of resources. One particularly challenging aspect of rural special education is providing general curriculum access. Computer-assisted instruction is one way to provide high-quality specialized instruction that does not require the attention of another teacher nor a paraprofessional while still possessing the ability to implement research-based specially designed instruction with fidelity. This article provides teachers with task analyses and considerations for creating their own computer-assisted instruction using widely available computer software.