For awhile thousands of children in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have been denied in fact (de facto) the special education services to which they, according to Federal Civil Rights Law (de jure), are entitled. According to the Massachusetts' Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), private schools are not entitled to federal…

About 13 percent of children aged 3 through 21 enrolled in public schools received special education services in school year 2015-16, and about 3 percent of children from birth through age 2 received special education services. Concerns about the difficulties identifying and evaluating children for special education have been raised by the media,…

Raising academic standards and eliminating achievement gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged students are America's prime national educational goals. Current federal and state policies, however, largely ignore the fact that the childhood poverty rate in the United States is 21%, the highest in the industrialized world, and that poverty…

"A Progress Report to the Legislature: After-School and Out-of-School Time Quality Grant" is submitted pursuant to Chapter 61 of the Acts of 2007, line item 7061-9611. The Department is working to coordinate this state After School and Out-of-School Time (ASOST) grant program with other such programs in state organizations, such as the…

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 authors report findings of a survey of school administrators' and educators' attitudes toward Massachusetts Chapter 766 and P.L. 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act). Advantages and problems of the laws are discussed, and parental involvement in right to education laws is considered. (SBH)

The report discusses Massachusetts' experiences in implementing P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, draws conclusions regarding integration of federal and state law, and describes placement options available under the law. The context of reform in both the United States and Great Britain is discussed, and the state-wide…

This review of eligibility criteria for students with special needs was the result of a 2-month analysis of the Massachusetts special education law and the current state of education within Massachusetts. The review was intended to examine the original intent of the special education statute, possible reasons for the high number of special…

This guide presents the Massachusetts eligibility guidelines to qualify a school age child with special needs to receive special education services. The guidelines are intended to aid in determining what a disability is and the relationship of the disability to determining whether the child is "unable to progress effectively in regular…

This paper provides an overview of educational, legal, and philosophical aspects of integration of Massachusetts students with disabilities. It discusses effective practices based on current research, the experience of parents and practitioners, and model programs. Introductory sections consider the importance of the integration concept and offer…

Examines recent legal and programmatic changes in the education of the handicapped in Massachusetts. Highlights State standards in the areas of program delivery, identification and placement, and the use of individual educational plans. Raises issues of validation and possible inequity. (FMW)