The arts disciplines (visual arts, music, theatre, and dance) merit and require formal study. Policy makers should support studies in the arts as core disciplines, as specified in the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)," the federal legislation that sets policy and appropriations for public education. The arts merit and…

Thomas Hehir, special education chief of Chicago Public Schools, is evangelist of integrating children with disabilities into regular classrooms. By completely reorganizing department viewed as political patronage dumping ground, Hehir has made remarkable progress in handling large number of children awaiting evaluation and placement in special…

This circular outlines the inclusion policy of the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Inclusion is defined as a combination of long-standing "least restrictive environment" policies, with an emphasis on active social membership in the class or community, but not representing a legal requirement that every child be educated in the same…

It is concluded that effective development of special education personnel depends on a consistent approach to certification classification and funding within each state, and that coupled with this is the need to identify critical teaching competencies which correspond to various certification categories. (DLS)

The paper looks at staffing issues in meeting special educational needs in high schools in Manchester, United Kingdom. The concerns of Heads of Departments (N=26) included improved training and inservice, their extended roles within their schools, the support role of special needs staff, and the need for more planning and evaluation. (Author/DB)

An interview with Lawrence R. Sargent, a state special education consultant, focuses on state education agency problems related to evaluation, state evaluation and monitoring of programs for mentally retarded students, and Iowa's approach to developing instructional outcome criteria as a measure of program quality. (CL)

This paper addresses concerns about effects of current changes in higher education on development of leadership personnel (professors and researchers) in special education. It suggests that current changes are a consequence of external expectations and a failure of faculty to protect the cultural values of academia. The prominent role of…

Two major reports on the financing of special education and the use of Public Law 94-142 discretionary and set-aside funds are analyzed, focusing on the funds' impact on state and local education agencies. Key factors in utilization of these monies are political realities and the legal need for flexibility. (Author/JDD)

The Council of Chief State School Officers' position paper on disabled students beyond school distinguishes among three groups of students who require minimal, interim, or continuing support to make the transition to work or postsecondary education and independent living. Obstacles to a smooth transition are noted, as well as federal efforts to…

In 1976-77, the U.S. Office of Education funded a series of investigations of community education by various organizations. These studies were designed to provide perspectives on community education that were prepared by groups essential to the community education process. This publication introduces the concept of community education as a new…

Ten brief articles focus on issues in the administration of special education especially in New York State. Articles have the following titles and authors: "Administrative Skills--Coping with the Future" (J. Gross); "The Impact of Public Law 94-142 and Chapter 853 on Regular and Special Education Administrators" (R. Costello);…

This document presents the Virginia Department of Education's plan to develop and implement pilot programs in six localities for the 1992-94 biennium (prior to statewide implementation in 1994) for the delivery of special education to juveniles in local jails. The plan is community based, with local school division administrators and jail…

The transcript of the 1985 hearings contains testimony and prepared statements on reauthorization of the discretionary programs under P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Part B of the Education of the Handicapped Act). The discretionary programs section of the law authorizes federal assistance to support such programs as…

Federal legislation requires that all handicapped children be afforded an appropriate and individualized physical education program. The state education agency of Montana, however, has not assumed this responsibility, and unqualified special education classroom teachers and regular physical education teachers are reluctantly charged by local…

The task force report examines recommendations for nondiscriminatory assessment of children from linguistic minorities. An initial suggestion is made for a moratorium on the use of standardized intelligence tests for these students. Recommendations are addressed to the U.S. Education Department (including requiring state education agencies to…