The manual is intended to help Florida school districts provide educational programs for mentally handicapped students. An introduction traces the history of services to this population in Florida. State regulations are then cited along with procedures for determining student eligibility. Subsections address definition, eligibility criteria, screening and referral, student evaluation, placement and eligibility decisions, dismissal or reassignment, and program organization. The second major section focuses on instructional procedures, with attention to the following aspects: teacher requirements, teacher competencies, instructional program, supportive services, facility provision, transportation utilization, and program evaluation. The final section examines issues in integrating community and support services. Appendices contain requirements for certification in mental retardation, charts of process components in the program model, abstracts of agency programs, a chart of requirements for diplomas and certificates, and a listing of Mental Retardation Steering Committee members as of 1982. (CL)