Provision of adequate special education services within an individual rural school district is often not feasible, so cooperative arrangements seem a logical alternative. Cooperative arrangements vary on many dimensions including: number of school districts served, mode of governance, funding sources, staffing patterns, services rendered,…

Preliminary data from a survey of 51 small, rural public school districts in New Mexico generally indicate that the quality of educational programming for students with severe handicaps is currently satisfactory and would improve with the additional federal funding under P.L. 94-142 (New Mexico was slated to receive funding effective January…

The major outcome of a study conducted to help Vermont implement P.L. 94-142 was the identification and prioritization of special education competencies required of general education administrators and the specification of training needs related to the competencies. (Author/IRT)

Teacher questions and concerns regarding the implementation of Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, were examined in visits to six local education agencies (LEAs). Types of LEAs visited included an eastern township, a southwest city, a midwest city, a remote town, and an eastern metropolis. Chapters of the report…

Rural poverty causes implementation of P.L. 94-142, The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, to be uniquely different from urban implementation. Rural areas may try to emulate urban policies, where it is possible to identify and group severely handicapped children for appropriate services, but in rural areas the availability of…

The summary of discussion from a 1980 Baltimore (MD) conference on implementing P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, in rural areas focuses on the problems facing special education in rural, remote, and isolated areas and suggests action for change. Work group recommendations are discussed for three main topics (sample…

Explores how school administrators can implement educational processes allowing full inclusion of students with disabilities into the general education program. Reviews literature on limitations of special education practices, arguments against, full inclusion, and rural communities' unique characteristics. Applies organizational behavior theories…

All major aspects of P.L. 94-142--the concept of the least restrictive environment; due process procedures; individualized education programs; and parent involvement--were identified as problems for rural schools. Three primary hindering factors were identified: teacher retention and recruitment problems, rural attitudinal problems, and problems…

A survey conducted to identify changes over a five-year period of operation for a regional provider of special education services included questions about number of handicapped students served, number and type of educational personnel, rooms used for special education, and services needed to comply with Public Law 94-142. (JHZ)

Three case studies investigated the school day of disadvantaged rural students with severe disabilities. Subjects were severely disabled girls, living in families with no income other than public assistance, and attending elementary or middle school in three poor rural school districts. A constant comparative method of single and cross-site data…

The quality of life for individuals with disabilities depends on access to quality services and employment opportunities. It is also important that the disabled be accepted as participating, contributing, and cherished members of the community. Distance and isolation, which typify rural areas, directly impact each of these issues. Individuals with…

A proposed 3-year project in Albany, New York will train 90 senior citizen volunteers to work in rural special education classrooms and with handicapped children and their parents in the children's homes. The project goal is the creation of a network of training systems and personnel to assist schools in improving special education services.…

Two surveys were conducted to determine perceptions of administrators and teachers regarding the impact of Public Law 94-142 on programs for severely handicapped children in New Mexico's small, rural school districts. One year after the infusion of federal funding, 55 percent of the respondents perceived no improvement in the level of services.…

The transcript of the 1985 hearings contains testimony and prepared statements on reauthorization of the discretionary programs under P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Part B of the Education of the Handicapped Act). The discretionary programs section of the law authorizes federal assistance to support such programs as…

Study examines implications for rural special education cooperatives of federal law mandating education for handicapped children. Compliance was assessed in 135 cooperatives in Regions 4 and 5. Mandated parental rights, student assessments, and individual plans posed least difficulty. Lack of special education knowledge posed most difficulty.…