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By Mary Parzych,
Andrew Camacho
and
Bari Altberg
Government 375

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 Introduction
The 1970s saw a breakthrough in equal educational opportunities for handicapped individuals. With the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Education Act (IDEA), handicapped individuals were guaranteed equal access to public schools, support services and instructional training through federal funding. While giving handicapped individuals a constitutional right, this legislation has also sparked the debate over the most appropriate manner for integrating children with disabilities.

Key Concepts/Definitions
This section answers the following questions: What constitutes a disability? What definition of mainstreaming is the debate based upon? What factors are involved in the handicapped child's IEP design?

History/Legislation
The background behind the legislation for handicapped equal educational opportunities, including the most prominent court cases that have led to the recent mainstreaming debate.

Mainstreaming Debate
An examination of both sides of the issue with specific examples on what has worked and what has not worked in mainstreaming. While this section cannot encompass all schools that have attempted mainstreaming, the different examples help to provide an objective understanding of deeper issues of the debate.

Teacher Training
The attitude of the mainstream teacher is as important to the effectiveness of mainstreaming as are supplemental and support materials. This section examines the effect of teachers' attitudes toward mainstreaming, mainstream teachers' competencies in teaching an mainstreamed classroom, and the different types of supplemental materials and aides that are available to make the mainstreamed environment the most appropriate.

Conclusion/Analysis
Visit this section to learn of some future debates, such as multiculturalism, within the issue of mainstreaming.

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Government 375: Educational Reform and Ideology