Avoiding the “Catch 22” in Special Education Reform

Abstract

This article points out a critical barrier to effective implementation of the “least restrictive environment” mandate of Public Law 94–142. A brief review of the major recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Panel on Selection and Placement of Students in Programs for the Mentally Retarded and a discussion of the implications for actualizing the recommendations in the context of current policy and funding practice in special education are provided. The conditions and decisions surrounding the institution and discontinuation of an educational program that incorporates design features aimed at achieving the programming and classification objectives identified by the NAS Panel are described, and some of the major policy and implementation issues surrounding reform in this area are delineated.

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