Fourteen papers examine current issues and practices in the education of students with severe mental retardation (SMR). Papers touch upon the broad context of education for SMR students, programs for the SMR population, and critical issues. The following papers are presented: "The Severely Mentally Retarded Individual: Philosophical and Implementarion Dilemmas" (D. Bricker and J. Filler); "Educational Policy and Severe Mental Retardation" (M. Noel, P. Burke, and C. Valdivieso); "Judicial Address of Education for Students with Severe Mental Retardation: From Access to Schools to State-of-the Art" (F. Laski); "Severely Mentally Retarded Young Children" (D. Gentry and J. Olson); "Educational Programs for Severely Mentally Retarded Elementary-Age Children: Progress, Problems, and Suggestions" (J. Tawney and K. Sniezek); "Programs for Secondary-Age Severely Handicapped Youth" (W. Williams, R. Vogelsberg, and R. Schutz); "Programs for Severely Mentally Retarded Adults: Perspectives and Methodologies" (F. Rusch J. Chadsey-Rusch, D. White, and J. Gifford); "Parents/Families of Persons with Severe Mental Retardation" (B. Fredericks); "The Evaluation of Severely Mentally Retarded Populations" (O. White); "Integration Efforts for Students with Severe Mental Retardation" (R. Gaylord-Ross and C. Peck); "Curricula without Recipes: A Challenge to Teachers and a Promise to Severely Mentally Retarded Students" (R. Brinker); "Behavioral Control and Education of Severely Handicapped Students: Who's Doing What to Whom? and Why?" (D. Guess and E. Siegel-Causey); "The Consequences of Bias in Studies of Living Arrangements for the Mentally Retarded Adult" (E. Butterfield); and "Perspectives on Methodological and Research Issues Concerning Severely Mentally Retarded Persons" (H. Switzky and H. Haywood). (CL)