This volume contains papers presented at a symposium on public policy and educating handicapped persons. Included are: (1) "Public Policy and the Special Education Task for the 1980s: Report of the Wingspread Conference" (M. C. Reynolds et al.); (2) "The Emerging System for Educating Handicapped Children" (L. E. Lynn, Jr.); (3) "Effectiveness of Special Education" (G. V. Glass); (4) "Public Education: A System to Meet Its Needs" (R. B. Howsam); (5) "How Can Special Education Be Coordinated with Other Service Systems?" (D. J. Stedman); (6) "Special Education: The Cost of Experimentation" (F. J. Macchiarola and R. W. Bailey); (7) "Great Expectations: Making Schools Effective for All Students" (R. H. Hersh and H. M. Walker); (8) "Restructuring 'Special' School Programs: A Position Paper" (M. C. Reynolds and M. C. Wang); (9) "Guides for Future Special Education Policy" (T. Joe and F. Farrow; and (10) "The Effectiveness of Special Education: A Survey" (J. Brandl). Responses to papers by J. S. Frankl, M. Scriven, I. H. Simpson, and G. Dybwad are included as are reflections on the conference by K. C. Lakin and M. Ziegler and an epilogue by W. C. Copeland. (CB)