Author Michael Wehmeyer began his career in special education shortly after the passage of the 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act (which later became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA). In those early days, he recounts, students with disability were mostly segregated from other children, and many of the adults…

The purpose of this historical study was to investigate the inclusion of students with special needs in school-based, agricultural education as reported by The Agricultural Education Magazine and the Journal of Agricultural Education over a time period of six decades. The impact of landmark legislation, such as the Vocational Education Act of…

The purpose of this study is to interview high school teachers of English Language Arts and special educators who are partners in a co-teaching model. It is important to understand the perceptions of teachers using co-teaching models to learn about the strengths of the program, as well as areas for improvement. In 1975, public education changed…

This booklet contains a policy interpretation, researched and adopted by the National Inservice Network, of requirements for inservice teacher education in compliance with the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (Public Law 94-142). Four areas are indicated in which regular classroom teachers need training for teaching handicapped…

To adequately prepare preservice teachers to implement inclusive classrooms, teacher preparation programs must encourage professional interaction, collaboration, and knowledge about inclusion. Although some of these skills can be presented in coursework, prospective teachers must be provided with opportunities to practice these skills in classroom…

Since the enactment of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (IDEA's forerunner) in 1975, an important requirement has been Child Find activities. According to Shapiro and Derrington (2004), Child Find is broadly defined as the entire range of activities, including public awareness, identification, referral, eligibility determination, and…

Answers eight questions concerning the teaching of reading to handicapped children. Includes background information on Public Law 94-142, discussions of mainstreaming and "least restrictive alternatives," and suggestions about instructional practices for use with the handicapped learner. (MKM)

Although there has been a consistent vision for multicultural education and family collaboration in teacher preparation programs for decades, collaborative partnerships between culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) families and their children's educators remain elusive (Harry, 2008; Trent, Kea, & Oh, 2008). Family engagement in special…

An inservice mini course training program at Jackson State University was designed to prepare educational personnel for teaching mainstreamed handicapped children as mandated by Public Law 94-142 (Education for All Handicapped Children Act). The mini course approach was selected as it is of short duration and is widely preferred by teachers. Among…

This article explores trends in research since the 1975 passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), notes gaps in the literature, and offers suggestions for future directions music education researchers could take in exploring the needs and experiences of music teachers…

This quantitative perception study explored the relationship between (a) the amount of administrator support given to teachers who teach special needs students and (b) teacher self-efficacy with regard to teaching special needs students. Electronic surveys were utilized to collect data for this study. Data were collected from 31 administrators and…

The study of Deaf epistemologies is in a nascent stage relative to, e.g., the study of feminist or African American epistemologies. It has only recently begun attracting the widespread attention it deserves. The present article addresses Deaf epistemologies as they relate to the sometimes conflicting trends in American society and education. In a…

Since the passage of U.S. Public Law 94-142, The Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975, special education has undergone much change. This law mandates that any child with disabilities must be educated to the maximum extent possible, with the least restrictive environment possible. This book serves as a resource for teachers dealing…

Even though paid advocates exist in the field of special education, teacher advocates are important because their work is based on passion and a belief that change is warranted due to their own needs and experiences with students, not merely on the basis that they are being paid to advocate. Education policy in recent years has become more…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that school districts provide eligible students with specially designed instruction that confers a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Depending on the unique needs of a student, FAPE may include physical education services. The IDEA also requires that a student's individualized…