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 lack of clear language in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which is the federal law that governs the provision of special education and related services to children with disabilities in the USA, has led to inconsistencies in school districts' decisions regarding the least restrictive environment (LRE). This uncertainty…

The federal No Child Left Behind Act mandates the application of the principles of evidence-based practice (EBP) in U.S. education. The purpose of this study was to identify available assistive technology (AT) and educational technology (ET) literature that relates to standards and teacher competencies, and to categorize that literature in…

Unlike data that show that all states require credentials for special education teachers, national data indicate that only 27 states require licensure/certification/endorsement as an administrator of special education. The titles used by states to identify the local director of special education include administrator of special education, director…

With the passage of P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, now the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and subsequent amendments, states and jurisdictions have made great strides in the provision of services to young children, ages 3 through 5 years, with disabilities. As of Fall 2009, America's…

The Oregon Annual Program Plan for fiscal year 1979 sets forth the state's policies to provide all handicapped childre (6-20 years old) with a free appropriate public education, as mandated by P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Addressed are the following topics: right to education, full educational opportunity timetable,…

School administrators should take note of the final regulations of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, the review and reconsideration of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, and the emerging citizen groups that can be powerful allies in providing adequate educational facilities. (MLF)

A national survey determines that, following the passage of Public Law 94-142 relating to services for handicapped children, there has been a general increase in the number of states establishing certification standards for school support service positions. The positions most affected were in speech pathology and school psychology. (SLD)

Contemporary standards of professional practice and recent educational compliance legislation emphasize the delivery of appropriate school psychological services geared to a range of school-age children with special needs. These guidelines are set forth so that school psychologists might consider them and adapt them to local circumstances. (Author)

This article examines major court decisions and provides guidelines for determining program appropriateness for individual students with disabilities. Specific decisions reviewed include the 1982 Board of Education v. Rowley case, Diamond v. East Windsor Regional School District (1986), Russell v. Jefferson School District (1985), and Tolland v.…

The report presents recommendations of a task force on the integration of hearing-impaired students, focusing on procedures for early identification, standards for educational programs, staff development and training, and program quality indicators. After brief sections giving definitions and the rationale for integration, preferred practices are…