This paper describes the content of two major laws affecting special education, identifies the agencies charged with their implementation, and provides a list of resources that address specific questions about these laws and their application in special education. The first law, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, prohibits…

Part of a volume which explores current issues in service delivery to infants and toddlers (ages birth to 3) with handicapping conditions, this chapter discusses the evolution of public policies related to early intervention services. Major milestones in federal legislation are reviewed, beginning in 1965 with Project Head Start. Current trends in…

State budgeting for higher education is a complex, multifacted process which is influenced by conditions outside both state government and higher education including the historical traditions, political culture, economic and demographic aspects of a state. Noted is the need of higher education to compete with other policy areas for resources and…

The evolving relationship between cities and urban colleges and universities is traced historically, and the implications of changing roles of the university are considered. The public service role of American higher education institutions has increased for both private and public schools. Attention is directed to the role of faculty,…

While the Federal Government has been involved in the care of the elderly since the depression, a comprehensive and unified national retirement policy has never been established. Federal programs for the aged have avoided cutbacks, but adaptations in present retirement policy are required to meet the needs of young and old alike. Although public…

Recent Supreme Court rulings are motivating employers to take actions reflecting their compliance with federal laws protecting against sexual harassment. Three key steps employers can take to counter sexual harassment are as follows: develop a strong company policy specifying outlawed behaviors and penalties for their demonstration; establish…

The five chapters of this book are intended to prepare high school debaters and their coaches for the efficient investigation of the 1980-81 High Scbool Debate Problem Area and Resolutions. The first chapter contains an overview of the problem area--consumer interests--describing the basic concepts of regulation and risk, the definitions of the…

The 1998 Workforce Investment Act (WIA) consolidates more than 70 programs and gives states the flexibility to partner with local governments to develop streamlined services providing universal access. Because adult education and postsecondary vocational education are required partners in the one-stop systems being established through Title I of…

The history of language policy in the United States is explored, focusing on the rights of language minorities. The first chapter presents constitutional and ethnolinguistic background information and gives an overview of the main categories of language rights. Chapter two describes the extent to which the federal government has or has not made…

Recent efforts to make English the only official language of the United States have spurred an "English Plus" language advocacy movement, based on the belief that all U.S. residents should have the opportunity to become proficient in English and one or more other languages. For non-native English speakers, this means opportunity to…

Discussion of national language policy concerning adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) education examines conditions in American demographics and adult education, looks at kinds of policy required to meet predicted educational needs, and encourages ESL educators to become involved in the policy formation process. The first section discusses…

One in every four families with children under the age of 18 is a single-parent family (up from 1 of every 10 in 1970). The vast majority of single-parent families are low-income families consisting of a mother (usually with relatively little formal education) and her young children. Many female single heads of households are either displaced…

Twelve author-contributed papers from a 1984 conference examine the future of special education. The following titles and authors are represented: "The Institute for Research on Exceptional Children at the University of Illinois" (S. Kirk and W. Spalding); "The Family with a Child Who Is Handicapped: Research Focus for the 1980's" (J. Gallagher);…

A 1994 Department of Education national evaluation of federally-supported adult education programs looked at programs' effectiveness in improving literacy skills, English language proficiency, and secondary school completion. National policy on adult literacy education is articulated in the Adult Education Act (AEA) and National Literacy Act,…

Current levels of federal and state support to increase access to higher education and the barriers now being faced are considered, based on a Higher Education Research Institute report. The postwar transition from elite to mass to universal higher education has been accompanied by major changes in government support. State governments have…