The United States Senate's unwillingness to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) notwithstanding, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) contains significant safeguards protecting the rights of students with disabilities, acknowledging their participation rights in decisions about their futures. In the first of…

The history of the denial of equal education opportunities to Black children is a long one, whether through racial segregation or overrepresentation in special education. No other group is as overreferred, overidentified, and overrepresented in special education as Black students, specifically Black males. The authors present an historical and…

This article examines developments at the federal level that impact upon both the legal and educational rights of gifted students. It also reviews educational data supporting the need to establish special programs and concludes with recommendations for redressing inequities in educational programs for the gifted. (DB)

Historically, it was more convenient to remove the disabled from the social mainstream than to integrate them in schools or provide jobs or training. This article traces progress made by case law and federal legislation, including the 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act, 1973 Rehabilitation Act (Section 504), and 1990 Individuals with…

Less than half the nation's gifted students are placed in appropriate educational settings. The Javits Gifted and Talented Students Act acknowledges the need for special programs for these children, but doesn't mandate their creation. The legal status of programs for the gifted contrasts sharply with those for children in special education. This…