Popular movie depictions of racial minorities as dysfunctional help maintain the present race-linked social stratification by instilling a sense of social disharmony and justifying continuing racial oppression. The enthnocentric bias of the majority of films reinforces stereotypical perceptions of minorities and legitimizes the status quo of white…

A review of the literature on biological and environmental effects of cocaine use suggests that the classification of infants and young children as prenatally cocaine exposed is neither descriptive nor predictive of behavior. The classification of behavior rather than labeling of the child is encouraged, as are partnerships with families of…

This essay examines the ways in which the rhetoric of the reparations debate elucidates the varying accounts of history favored by Americans of different backgrounds, the political and ideological foundations underlying different perspectives on the nature and uses of history, and the norms guiding public deliberation in the contemporary U.S.…

This report examines current assessment and eligibility practices relating to special education programs, and proposes changes to current policy and practice that will encourage and support a process that emphasizes determining student need, designing effective interventions, and evaluating outcomes. The paper views the emphasis in federal and…

This article begins with a discussion of the political and ideological dimensions of culture, cultural difference, and labeling. The authors follow with the assertion that administrator's beliefs, as expressions of personal values, are connected to their instructional behaviors and their leadership roles in schools (Hart Bredeson, 1996).…

This paper examines coercive egalitarianism as it relates specifically to gifted education. Deliberate underachievement is seen to result from this egalitarianism which has arisen as a result of overriding concerns with creating equity among students. Additionally, envy by other students results in their attempting to compromise those advantages…

The article traces the development of the concept of learning disabilities (LD) in American education from a sociohistorical perspective, prompting a variety of observations and conclusions. The scientific basis for the conceptualization of the LD clinical syndrome is weak. A clinically identified dysfunctional learning style has been transformed…

This report provides the Pacific American perspective on the current problems and future prospects of Asian and Pacific American relations in the context of Federal assistance. The report is divided into three parts. The first emphasizes the long history of contact between Asians and Pacific Islanders in the Pacific. This history, it is argued,…

Despite its reputation for being a scientific and precise tool for measurement, psychological testing is a culturally biased procedure that results in discrimination against minority groups, particularly against minority students. Academic achievement and intelligence tests, the two types of tests most frequently used in public schools, assume…

Special education categories for mildly handicapped students are not reliable nor valid as indicators of particular forms of education. Their use is expensive and inefficient, causing disjointedness in school programs. A program of pilot projects is recommended in conjunction with regular educators to redesign categorical programs and policies.…

Examines the purpose and function of stereotypical perceptions in graduate school and the early phases of career development relative to the author's experiences and observations as a Black female in academe. Points out ways that the political culture and institutional structures of the academic community shape and perpetuate racism, sexism, and…

Discusses issues influencing the placement of young children with disabilities, including individual educational plans, labeling, philosophy-based decisions, the Regular Education Initiative, and full inclusion. Maintains that decisions regarding educational programs with disabilities must be based on individual educational needs, and notes that…

In this paper, the author argues for a more humanistic approach to children and young people who face difficulties in their personal and social lives. Increasingly, young people in the developed world who are troubled or troublesome in school or in their neighbourhoods are categorised and labelled in terms of psychiatric disorder. The number of…

This speech addresses the restructuring of special and regular education into one integrated system in a third generation of school reform. Six serious issues demonstrate the need for reform: (1) poor quality of disability identification and evaluation; (2) a classification system governed by fads rather than student needs; (3) minimal…

This paper attempts to refute current emphases on supposedly increased numbers of "students at risk." It is claimed that such terminology usually includes students who drop out, who become teenage mothers, or who are illiterate. Data are presented in tabular form demonstrating that all three of these "risk behaviors" are at their lowest in…