The eight papers in this compendium were commissioned from faculty and staff members to provide a research and theoretical base for selected components of a University of Kentucky report on a teaching experience involving mainstreamed elementary school children. That experience was reported in "Perspectives of an Ivory Tower Realist," a monograph written by Catherine V. Morsink. Authors are from the University's Departments of Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Psychology and Counseling, Social and Philosophical Studies, Special Education, and the Office of the Dean. Educating handicapped children in the least restrictive environment was the theme of all of the papers, which reflected components of the knowledge base in one or more of four areas: teaching basic skills; classroom management; individualized instruction; and professional values. Articles are included on: (1) educational program evaluation: an overview of data based instruction for classroom teachers; (2) individualizing instruction in the mainstreamed classroom: a mastery learning approach; (3) the relationship between teacher attitudes and values in mainstreaming the minority child; (4) a model for reading instruction of children with learning disabilities based on functional literacy; (5) teaching spelling and writing skills in the mainstreamed elementary classroom; (6) crisis intervention: behavior management of mildly handicapped children in a mainstreamed setting; (7) mainstreaming: implications for regular teachers and special education teachers from research in general classroom management; and (8) values, cultural diversity, and classroom practice: the dilemma of unfulfilled expectations. (JD)