"Free speech" and "political correctness" are best seen not as opposing principles, but as part of a spectrum. Rather than attempting to establish some absolute principles, this essay identifies four trends that impact on this debate: (1) there are, and always have been, legitimate debates about the--absolute--beneficence of…

What higher education state policy issues will be at the forefront of discussion and legislative activity throughout the United States in 2010? Provided herein is the consensus of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) state relations and policy analysis staff, informed by continual scanning of state policy activities,…

This article identifies interdisciplinary issues in the education of students with hearing loss. These include professional standards and codes of ethics, certification standards, teacher education, federal program laws and civil rights laws, increasing the equality of students with hearing impairments, and lifespan planning. A table lists 20…

This introductory article on adults with learning disabilities considers historical antecedents, the role of public policy (the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act), the movement within the field of learning disabilities emphasizing transition to adulthood, and the continuance of public policy…

Reflections on the 25-year history of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) first presents the litigable and legislative developments that led to the passage of IDEA, then examines the law itself and the litigation interpreting IDEA, and finally discusses the direction that IDEA may take over the next 25 years. (Contains…

This paper reviews the history of special education in Saskatchewan (Canada) since the 1960s and proposes policy initiatives for future changes. Emphasis in the discussion is on trends and Canadian reports that led to Saskatchewan's 1971 passing of legislation mandating an "appropriate" free public education with procedural due process,…

Under federal and California law, cost alone cannot be used as a defense for modifying or denying education and support services to a student with a disability. This has contributed to growth in special education spending. However, funding has not kept up with costs, forcing school administrators to "encroach" upon general education…

Discusses the need for development of female talent in China and examines the issues involved in this approach relative to trends in society. Calls for the initiating of female talent studies both as a means of revealing the laws governing the development of talented women and in creating theories to guide actions. (KO)

Two years of work by the 95th Congress (1977-78) are examined with regard to programs and issues which have implications for lifelong learning as a national policy. (Lifelong learning is defined as that policy or combination of policies which contribute to and/or encourage learning by persons throughout their lives in a variety of formal and…

This paper examines trends in the support of public higher education versus that for prisons in New York State over the last decade and concludes that the dramatic rise in funding for prison expansion has come at the expense of higher education. The paper notes that (1) since fiscal year 1988, operating budgets at New York's public universities…

Reviews the development of faculty collective bargaining in public higher education, as affected by federal and state constitutions and laws. Anticipates future trends. Topics covered include bargaining, organizing, determining the bargaining unit, negotiation agreements and impasses, administering the agreement, and relations between bargaining…

This digest examines the status of girls' and women's athletics more than 20 years after the 1972 passage of Title IX of the Education Amendments to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sex discrimination in education programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance. It notes trends in Title IX implementation, the impact of…

Findings from the United States Department of Education's tenth annual report on the implementation of Public Law 94-142 are extrapolated to characterize Black and Hispanic students in learning disability classes and the issue of minority student high-school completion rates. In light of the findings, a comprehensive follow-up study is…

During the early years of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the courts generally deferred to school officials on least restrictive environment (LRE) matters and ruled in favor of more restrictive placements. Recent cases may signal that the courts may be growing impatient with school officials for not providing less…

Recent state and national developments regarding assessment of higher education suggest that a decisive point for assessment policy is approaching. Too many higher education leaders remain uninvolved, and public patience is wearing thin. Increasing frustration with higher education may lead public policymakers toward greater prescription and…