This book's aim is to define and clarify the issues involved in the education of deaf and hard of hearing children in local public schools, to bring to light the accumulating research in this area, and to recommend actions for organizing effective educational programs. The book offers a perspective on the current confusion in the field of deaf education, examines how different deaf constituencies have unique needs, describes how the family contributes to and makes demands on the school system, and discusses how deaf children are succeeding and losing out. Part I, called "The Context of the Educational Program," contains the following papers: "An Historical Perspective on School Placement" (Donald F. Moores); "What Does 'Local Public School' Program Mean?" (Thomas N. Kluwin);"Ethnic and Cultural Considerations" (Valerie J. Janesick and Donald F. Moores); "How Family Factors Influence School Achievement" (Thomas N. Kluwin and Martha Gonter Gaustad); "Issues of Educational Interpreting" (Joe D. Stedt) and "Understanding the Context of Local Public Education" (Martha Gonter Gaustad). Part II, "The Process and Outcomes of Schooling," presents "Patterns of Communication among Deaf and Hearing Adolescents" (Martha Gonter Gaustad and Thomas N. Kluwin); "The Role of Sport and Extracurricular Activities in Shaping Socialization Patterns" (David A. Stewart and Michael S. Stinson); "Students' Views of Their Social Relationships" (Michael S. Stinson and Kathleen Whitmire); "Considering the Efficacy of Mainstreaming from the Classroom Perspective" (Thomas N. Kluwin);"Identifying the Contributions of School Factors to the Success of Deaf Students" (Angela O'Donnell and others); "The Career Development of Young People with Hearing Impairments" (Suzanne King); "The Collision of Reality and Expectations" (Donald F. Moores); and "Conclusion: Some Reflections on Defining an Effective Program" (Thomas N. Kluwin). (JDD)