In this article, James J. Gallagher proposes that understanding the political issues and the debate surrounding the education of gifted students is based on the recognition that education policy (including rules, regulations, financial allocations, etc.) reflects social policy. Hence, society prioritizes needs so that the most important of these…

Discusses the role of psychologists and other social scientists in public policy and decision making. Describes four centers devoted to child and family policy established by the Bush Foundation. Includes several personal observations about the relationships between professionals, decision makers, and policy implementation. (EVL)

Effective early education for gifted children must include special policy and program considerations. Preschool/day-care efforts should be based on the child's needs, special program goals, appropriate placement or grouping, and parent involvement. Administration convenience must yield to developmental efficacy to provide early admittance to…

The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142) is used to illustrate policy implementation analyses. Significant barriers to policy implementation for this law include power relationships between parents and schools, classroom teachers' feelings of uncertainty resulting from changed role expectations, and economic problems. (Author)

Recognizes the media's influential position in policymaking. Compares two traditional approaches to involving social scientists in policymaking with a policy analysis approach for identifying strategies to deal with social issues. Considers the interplay between the mass media and policymakers, interest groups, the public, and policy analysts.…

Implications of the term "gifted," including that of unjustified and unearned privilege, are considered in the context of findings on intelligence development, self-efficacy, education, prevalence, and the importance of labels. Five policy options are considered including abandoning the term and using performance rather than aptitude to organize…

This report focused on special education activity at three different levels in the educational establishment: teacher-handicapped child interaction, educator-handicapped child level, and policy maker-handicapped child interaction. (Author/RK)

Asserts that the logical and factual discussions on such matters as budget allocations in both the legislative and executive branches are merely a rational crust under which, it is stated, deeper negative emotions flow about research in general, education in general, and educational research in particular, and discusses four action alternatives to…

Current legislation that improves services to target populations includes elements of mandated reform of certain professional practices. Such a mandate puts into practice changes that many have said were needed, but it also makes implementation of these policies more difficult. (Author/BJV)

This report discusses family policy issues raised by the implementation of Public Law 99-457, Part H, the Infants and Toddlers section of the Education of the Handicapped Amendments of 1986. The report is the outcome of a policy options work conference in which a small group of knowledgeable parents and professionals identified key policy issues.…

Disparities between European countries and the U.S. in terms of incidence and prevalence of mild mental retardation have become apparent. A model of intellectual performance that might explain disparities and predict future levels of occurrence of mild mental retardation is presented. Such explanations are relevant for theory and policy decisions.…

This paper presents a decision model illustrating the role of values in influencing choices between policy options in implementing Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The paper discusses value assumptions, the role of conflicting values in decision making, the concept of an individual hierarchy of values, and implications…

This study identified critical factors in two states as they begin to develop family centered policies for the Infant and Toddlers Program as required by Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It focused on the Individual Family Service Plan, the identification of families' strengths and needs, and case management. Data were…

This report summarizes discussions from a policy options conference devoted to the needs for personnel preparation related to the implementation of Public Law 99-457, Part H, which provides services to infants and toddlers with handicapping conditions and their families. The three policy questions identified as the most significant were: (1) what…

In Part H of Public Law 99-457, the Federal Government agrees to provide modest financial resources to aid the states in planning and developing comprehensive, multidisciplinary, coordinated services for young children with handicaps and their families, and presents mandates for reforms in the service delivery system. This paper identifies the…