Conclusion/Analysis
"All children can learn" (Salmone, 1986). Adhering to this statement, the fight for equal education for all individuals was launched. P.L. 94-142 marked the first major step forward for the integration of handicapped children into non-handicapped classrooms. This movement has created arguments on either side, but at the same time has increased an awareness of handicapped individuals' abilities to learn. Ideas for change and improvement have come out of this awareness and are continually being modified and developed as new technological and instructional methods for teaching arise. While there is no known comprehensive standard for teacher training or effective integration of handicapped students into regular classrooms, the different examples and case studies that we have observed thus far, have provided knowledge about ideas and methods that have worked effectively in the past, as well as ideas and programs that have failed.

It is difficult to design a comprehensive and effective policy that all school districts must follow "without taking into account the complex social and cultural conditions into which policy is eventually implemented" (Mallory, 1995, p.214). While the concept of "cultural sensitivity" in designing individual education plans for handicapped students has not been widely discussed, the perspective of different family and student make-up is important to the design of the his/her IEP. Such factors as the individual's degree of disability, age, gender, race, size, cultural ethnicity, socioeconomic status, etc., will all have effects on the student's plan. Consequently, the federal regulations created under IDEA, were "developed primarily in the context of traditional, white, middle-class, western assumptions and ideals" ("Exceptional Children", 1996). Therefore, these assumptions may not be representative of the majority families with handicapped children. Recognizing the cultural factors can only come from thorough discussions with the families and continual evaluation of the child by his/her teacher.

The concept of mainstreaming has the capability to:

increas[e] positive interactions between handicapped and non-handicapped students, between handicapped students and classroom teachers, between classroom and special education teachers, as well as between the school administrators, parents and the general public (Anderson, 1980, p.38).

Great progress in equal educational opportunities for handicapped individuals has taken place since the passage of P.L. 94-142. Obviously, the ultimate goal has not yet been achieved, nor has the acceptance of "handicapped [individuals] on the basis of their personal human qualities rather than on their exceptionalities" (Anderson, 1980, p.40). Current efforts seek to provide handicapped individuals with the least restrictive environment for learning. The increased funding, support services, and research has strengthened the term "from good will to civil rights", and has fueled the momentum toward enforcing this constitutional right.
Government 375: Educational Reform and Ideology