The purpose of this policy analysis was to examine the responses of selected states to the special education monitoring requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) with particular attention paid to the years after this most recent reauthorization. This study examined the legislative and litigative history of…

Topics discussed here include definitions of exceptional persons; the rationale of mainstreaming; racial discrimination in special education placement; law, policy, and court litigation; federal and state legislation and state plan requirements; funding special education; and regional resource centers. (DS)

To date, Ohio has not developed a systematic program for ensuring equal educational opportunity. In this paper options available for state policy which would bring about such a program are considered. Information is presented about the legal premises behind desegregation. Legal alternatives to the courts, as well as legal decisions regarding…

Does a "school choice" program, under which state funds are disbursed on a neutral basis to parents in the form of a voucher to defray the cost of sending their children to a school of their choice, run afoul of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, or of the New Hampshire Constitution? No. A…

The "Lau" decision of 1974, which was related to the education of Chinese-speaking students in San Francisco (California), ushered in new programs, teaching approaches, frameworks, legislation, and government agencies designed to redress fundamental inequities in the educational opportunities available to language minority students. This…

Precedents from litigation on state graduation assessments provide insight into the potential legal arguments challengers may raise with regard to mandated content and performance standards for all students. Clearly documented, fairly administered procedures that adhere to professional recommendations will be the hallmark of defensible standards.…

This newsletter consists primarily of a legal review of the Supreme Court decision in "Witters v. Washington Department of Services for the Blind" (January 27, 1986), in which unusually clear guidelines are set forth for a constitutionally acceptable program of educational assistance that may include parents whose children attend…

Since Mueller vs. Allen (1983), several legal decisions have attempted to clarify what is the appropriate relationship between religion and public education in a democratic society. During this time, the United States legal system has shifted, moving the historic "establishment clause" away from a strict "separationist" view…

This report summarizes testimony taken from 103 witnesses during six public hearings on bilingual-bicultural education held between October 27 and December 9, 1975 in San Diego, Los Angeles, Fresno, and San Francisco by the Special Subcommittee on Bilingual-Bicultural Education of the California State Assembly. The report is divided into four…

To ensure that school districts and schools meet acceptable performance levels, many school districts and states have enacted various accountability policies. Two of the most controversial approaches to accountability are reconstitutions of schools and state takeovers of school districts and schools. For each approach, this policy brief presents…

The state plan for the education of children with handicapping conditions required by P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, specifies goals, priorities, and programs of New York State. Following submission statements and certifications, a section on the purpose of the plan lists learning goals for all children in the state…