Difficulties in translating innovations that have been validated by researchers into practices that will be used by practitioners are widely acknowledged. Nevertheless, research on systems change is sparse and teachers are seldom asked for their perspectives on the implementation of innovations. Special education teachers (n = 83) from five states in regions known for their efforts to develop quality educational programs for students with severe disabilities were surveyed for their knowledge and skills, the actual presence of quality indicators in their programs, and difficulties they experience in implementing various most promising practices. The results indicate that the self-reported ratings of the presence of the indicators is correlated with both teacher skill and degree of implementation difficulty. Analyses of teachers' comments to an open-ended question reveal common concerns regarding time constraints and administrative support as major obstacles to implementation. The results are discussed in the context of the nature of education as an applied science, the needfor a researchto-practice literature on the implementation process for practitioners, and the need to acknowledge explicitly the support variables present in research on edu-

References to "most promising practices" in educa tional programs for students with severe disabilities reflect a mix of social values as well as empirically validated instructional strategies. A literature search and polling of nationally recognized experts in severe disabilities was conducted to generate a listing of 123 items representing Program Quality Indicators. This initial listing was then rated by six groups (a total N = 254) representing various interests and constituencies: (a) behavior therapy experts, (b) experts in severe disa bilities, (c) experts in deaf-blind, (d) mental retardation researchers, (e) state directors of special education, and (f) parents involved in advocacy efforts. Mean ratingsfor each item support the relative values of each of the indicators, and the results of factor analysis of the item ratings revealed five dimensions, which were valued differentially by the six respondent groups. Results are discussed in terms of future efforts to translate most promising practices into typical practices for students with severe disabilities in public school settings.Recent work in the field of severe disabilities empha sizes the referencing of educational programs to the