In 2025, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) will have been the primary law driving the field of special education for 50 years. A contentious area of disagreement has been the relationship between two primary mandates of the law: the obligation of schools to provide a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) to eligible…

The Individuals with Disability Act of 2004 states students must be serviced in their least restrictive environment. However, educators see more and more students being provided their instruction in resource rooms, with little evidence that the students are making more progress in a more restrictive environment. This study examined the…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1975 has made a profound impact on millions of children with disabilities who now enjoy their right to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). It is the goal of national policy, endorsed by Congress, to ensure equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic…

Social justice, equality and inclusion are complex and inter-linked concepts and feature prominently in Scottish social policy rhetoric. This paper begins with an overview of the discourses surrounding these concepts and the ways in which they are used in Scottish education policy, which, in general, is founded on principles of universalism. The…

This paper presents the position that inclusion is limited; inclusion does not go far enough. The inclusive classroom has been assessed to be of benefit both to the teacher and student. There are, however, limits set on inclusion. In most classrooms only children with learning disability are included omitting those with severe disabilities,…

In this article, a former principal at Falk Elementary School in Madison, Wisconsin, describes his school's shift as it sought to create an inclusive school for all students and establish an authentic sense of belonging. Nationwide, schools and districts from Concord, New Hampshire, to Whittier, California, and from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004 supports equitable access to educational opportunities for all children who have disabilities. IDEA requires that students who receive services for special needs receive a free appropriate public education, and have access to the general education curriculum, which includes…

This study explored beliefs of administrators and teachers in Colorado about applying the concept that "all students can learn" to students with learning disabilities. The following topics are reviewed: components of standards-based education (SBE), the least restrictive environment, individualized education plans (IEPs), establishing…

Despite many accomplishments since the passing of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, not all disabled children are benefiting from the law. Examples are cited from Douglas Biklen's study of schools that have achieved the integration of disabled and nondisabled students. (MLF)

For a mainstreaming program to be effective, students should be able to experience success in a regular classroom with the enhanced self-image that accompanies a positive experience. Maximizing classroom accommodations for learning disabled students can help improve these students' access to educational opportunities and increase the probability…

The bulletin explores various aspects of mainstreaming handicapped youngsters into regular K-12 social studies classrooms. It is intended to give classroom teachers practical advice on dealing with the problems which have resulted from the passage of Public Law 94-142. Major problems include that handicapped youngsters often present an additional…

Problems of mainstreaming and racial integration in American schools are analyzed by a Japanese observer. The individualized educational program ideology is seen often to prevail over the principle of mainstreaming. A "separate but equal" approach contradicts the spirit of the Federal Handicapped Education Act. Synthesis of togetherness,…

This study examined extent to which differential exposure to computer literacy found with lower socioeconomic students is also characteristic of instruction for learning handicapped children in special education and mainstreamed classrooms. Results are discussed in terms of impact of placement in special education on students' ability to develop…

Reviews issues concerning learning disabled (LD) students in the college environment, including demographics of this population, related federal legislation, principles underlying policy concerning LD students, distinction between accommodation and privilege for LD students, the uniqueness of each student's needs, and the simple nature of most…

A study assessed access and equity with regard to mildly handicapped youth who receive vocationally oriented curricula; it also assessed the extent to which existing data and data systems are reliable indicators of access and equity in vocational education. A random sample of 293 handicapped students from secondary school districts in Illinois…