Italy has a long history of including students with disabilities in general education classes. Their efforts offer unique perspectives and practices from which other countries may benefit. The article highlights four notable attributes about the Italian approach and discusses implications for American schools.

Five case studies illustrate "good practice" in integrating handicapped secondary students. The articles focus on programs in Italy, the U.S., England, and Norway. Papers on the Scuola Di Rienzo on Rome and the Drayton School in Oxfordshire, England describe lower secondary schools. The Rome program was once a special school for…

The result of trips by American special educators to Italy in 1984 and 1986, this paper reviews laws, public policy, and events in Italy's recent history leading to widespread desegregation of the disabled special schools and other institutions. The review of legislation focuses on National Law 517 (1977) with such specified strategies for pupil…

Cross-cultural experiences in teacher education are an important part of multicultural education because they allow preservice teachers to examine their world view and develop culturally sensitive dispositions critical for teaching in our diverse society. Research has shown that effective cross-cultural experiences can lead to personal…

The aim of this report is to identify and explain the relevant experiences that are being undertaken in some Southern European schools to prepare young people for living in a democracy. To prepare the report, the authors visited schools in five countries: Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, and Spain. They also obtained information from ad hoc reports…