Since the enactment of Public Law 94-142, school districts have struggled to hire and retain required special education personnel (i.e., special education teachers, school psychologists, and related service providers). Data show that shortages of these qualified personnel are even more magnified in rural school districts. Distance education can…

The history of school social work in the United States is nearly as old as the history of public education. Despite the presence of social workers in schools throughout this time, the profession has generally been established within schools through confluence of interests with broader social and educational movements or policy windows. These…

This article examines what we know about the experience of parents in the special education system--in particular, parents of children with learning disabilities since the passage of PL-94-142. Toward this end, I offer a review of special education literature about parent and professional collaboration, a rationale for relying upon a plurality of…

This special issue of Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities (RPSD) is timely and resonates with the theme of the 2009 TASH Conference, "If not Us, Who? If not NOW, When?" The articles grapple with critical issues across a number of dimensions that reflect the complexity of inclusion and exclusion, the importance of…

Special education as practiced today remains firmly anchored in the original logic of the Amendments to the Education of the Handicapped Act (PL 94-142). Subsequent reauthorizations of the statute have included language designed to increase access to the general curriculum by special needs students but have not addressed the underlying…

The Study of Monitoring and Improvement Practices under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) examined how states monitored the implementation of IDEA by local special education and early intervention services programs. State monitoring and improvement practices in 2004-05 and 2006-07 were the focus of the study. Prior to the…

Many books and articles have been written about a Response to Intervention (RtI) model of service delivery for students who are struggling learners. However, little has been written about this model's usefulness as a means of addressing the needs of advanced learners or twice-exceptional learners whose needs may be both remedial and advanced. The…

The authors use elements of social capital theory to explore the rapidly changing landscape of deaf education in America. They suggest that the formation of relationships, and networks of relationships, between deaf students and adults has a value that often goes undetected or underappreciated in deaf education. The authors point out that social…

Intended for personnel in State Educational Agencies, the document provides guidelines, procedures, and forms for implementation of nondiscriminatory assessment practices with handicapped children and adults. In an introductory section, a model is presented for establishing the relationships between various components of an unbiased assessment…

The recent literature on labeling in mental retardation is reviewed and a conceptual scheme based on T. Scheff's model is presented for future study of the labeling problem. The issue of the medicalization or demedicalization of mental retardation is discussed in light of P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. (Author)

The rights of hospital/homebound children under P.L. 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act) are considered, and a model in which service is delivered through a full-time instructor whose sole job responsibility is teaching students in homes and hospitals during school hours is seen to be most favorable. Other delivery alternatives…

Current assessment models in communication disorders are reviewed, factors involved in meeting the demands of P.L. 94-142 are addressed, and recommended practices as well as future considerations are noted. (CL)

Describes a model, based on the "levels of use" concept, for evaluating individualized education program (IEP) implementation under Public Law 94-142. The model includes three levels: awareness, implementation mechanics, and "evolution" or realization of goals. The model is applied to 30 IEPs in a Florida school district. (RW)

Describes a systemwide participatory planning model designed to facilitate improvement of secondary learning disabilities programs. The model had three phases: central program planning and description, school-based program planning, and implementation and evaluation. This program generated a sense of shared ownership and direction among one…

Examined study of school social work practice by surveying school social workers (N=82) in Lousiana. Results suggest three models of practice were used. Compared these models with models of other studies, paying particular attention to trends resulting from Public Law 94-142. Concludes Public Law 94-142 had little effect on core elements of school…