There has been a long-standing history of segregation and exclusion of students with disabilities from receiving a quality education in public school districts throughout the country. In response to the growing outcry for equal opportunities for students with and without special needs, Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act…

Legislation and policy lead to action. In the absence of law or policy, situations are addressed on a case-by-case basis or they are sometimes ignored. Legislation and policy become extremely important when they relate to groups that have traditionally been marginalized, such as students with disabilities or students with gifts and talents, and…

This guide is designed to help advocates--including biological and adoptive parents, resource parents, adult students in foster care, and service providers--understand and advocate for the educational rights of children in New Jersey's foster care system. The guide explains the requirements of federal and state laws that particularly affect these…

The participant's manual contains training materials for a national teleconference on coalition building for systems advocacy in agencies concerned with independent living for people with disabilities. Preliminary materials include the conference agenda, background information about the trainers, and organizational information on Independent…

The paper presents an alternative service delivery model for special education. Problems with the current delivery model include tests, labeling, overrepresentation of racial and ethnic minorities, and lack of generalization from the resource setting to the regular classroom. The alternative model would allow more students to be served without…

California state law A.B. 2666 requires local educational agencies to provide special education to all children with exceptional needs between the ages of 3 and 5 years. The law aims to reduce the potential impact of handicapping conditions; produce substantial gains in physical development, cognitive development, language and speech development,…

This document contains an executive summary of a study designed to: determine the status of early intervention (birth-to-3) programs for handicapped children in Illinois, to make recommendations for future planning, and develop training modules focused on the findings. It discusses the study's rationale, method, and design; estimates incidence…

As a result of recent federal and state regulations, all children being considered for special education services must be identified through a team process. This article outlines the administrator's role in the Eligibility and Planning Team process that is utilized in the Fallbrook Union School District, San Diego County. (Editor/KC)

This composite document presents Part 30 of the California Education Code relative to special education programs, and includes relevant regulations from Chapter 1 of Division 3 of Title 5 of the Code. It also contains those provisions of the Health and Safety Code, Government Code, and Welfare and Institutions Code having a direct impact on…

When students with handicapping conditions reach the age of 21 or attain a high school diploma, it is necessary for them to make a transition from educational services to adult services in the form of employment, sheltered workshops, residential programs, etc. This volume assists local school districts in complying with their regulatory…

The manual describes program standards and guidelines for New York programs interested in qualifying for state reimbursement for special education costs ordered by the court in serving handicapped students birth to 5 years of age. Standards are set forth for the following areas: eligibility (including definitions of handicapped conditions);…

This technical assistance document provides guidelines for child assessment and eligibility determination for early intervention and early childhood special education programs in Oregon. An overview of the assessment process explains screening, eligibility evaluation, and assessment for the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP). Legal requirements…

This preliminary document provides a reference for California educators concerned with the generation of funds for special education programs and is intended to supplement J-50 forms and instructions. The J-50 forms are a series of instructions, worksheets, and data collection forms used by local California educational agencies in the calculation…

Designed for special education due process hearing officers in Arizona, this manual is intended to provide a reference system for accessing and understanding state and federal laws, regulations, case-law, and policy with respect to the education of students with disabilities. Sections of the manual include: (1) a glossary of terms and a chart that…

The author examines concerns about whether or not, and by what criteria, handicapped students should be included in or excluded from comprehensive competency testing programs, as well as the implications of minimum competency testing for the handicapped. Pertinent legislation from several states is discussed. (Author/SJL)