The lack of clear language in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which is the federal law that governs the provision of special education and related services to children with disabilities in the USA, has led to inconsistencies in school districts' decisions regarding the least restrictive environment (LRE). This uncertainty…

The legal implications of exclusionary practices, integration, and program adjustments, modification, and supplementary services for special needs students in vocational education are discussed. In reply, B. Balow does not foresee the courts attempting to judge which technology should be used with handicapped students. See also EC 133 816-823. (CL)

School administrators are caught between the special education requirements of a free appropriate education and the mainstreaming preference embodied in federal law. This article analyzes circuit court cases and explains four overlapping judicial standards that influence mainstreaming decisions. Administrators should avoid blanket-separation and…

The guide lists resources for the provision of vocational education to handicapped students. Each entry includes information on title, specific concern, groups served, intended users, contents, source, cost, availability, and ease of use. Entries are organized into the following four areas (sample subtopics in parentheses): exceptional students…

The document identifies the legal issues arising from the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and indicates how the courts are handling these issues. Annotations on court cases are arranged in major categories: free appropriate public education, placement in the least…

Answers to questions about institutional obligations under Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 illustrate the legal issues that may confront college administrators as they make efforts to comply. Topics include: institutions that are covered, individuals who are protected, reasonable accommodation, affirmative action, and legal…

Twelve years have elapsed since Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA), was passed by Congress. This paper accordingly reviews the far-reaching effects of EAHCA on the educational enterprise, focusing on the legal, administrative, and instructional challenges of disciplining handicapped students in a…

The paper reviews aspects of preschool special education from three perspectives: (1) existing federal and state laws, (2) the state of the art, (3) legal decisions and implications. Discretionary interpretations of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) regarding preschool special…

The literature review addresses the assessment, placement, treatment, and employment rights of the handicapped in relation to their implications for teachers, administrators, and university personnel. Assessment is considered in terms of eligibility criteria/definitions of handicapping conditions, responsibility for assessment, fair and…

A summary is presented of some of the ways that judicial decisions and laws have an impact on higher education and on public education. The sources of legal obligation that impose duties and responsibilities on teachers are discussed. These are: common law, contractual obligations, state laws, and federal laws. The legal definitions are given of…

The legal aspects of four issues concerned with obtaining educational services for children (ages 3 through 5) with disabilities are outlined and analyzed in this paper. Each issue is discussed in terms of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and/or the Americans with Disabilities…

The text presents six chapters on the legal and governmental bases of special education. In the Introduction, F. Weintraub and J. Ballard cite the legislative and litigative history of P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, and briefly address information sources on such policy issues as procedural safeguards, underserved…

The notion of intervention strategies is introduced in this paper to explain why and when certain change efforts are successful. It is argued that the choice of control points and the selection of control linkages are determined by characteristics of the task in the implementing agency. Many implementation failures can be attributed to the…

Eight papers are presented from a July 1982 conference on assessment. S. Wood and F. Hertlein begin with "Integrating Remedial Education in Olympia Public Schools: A Consulting Service Model for Low Performing and Handicapped Students." They describe the model's staff development modules, instructional support strategies, and management…

The purpose of this document is to provide operators with implementation and operational technical assistance related to special education in charter schools. Special education is a very complicated component of public education and providing operators with technical assistance regarding special education is particularly challenging. This primer…