(1990). Education of Handicapped Jail Inmates: Report of the Virginia State Crime Commission to the Governor and the General Assembly of Virginia. House Document No. 16. Presented are the results of a study by and recommendations of the Virginia State Crime Commission to develop a program of appropriate education for jail inmates with disabilities. Four public hearings resulted in seven findings, including the following: federal law requires the states to provide special education to handicapped inmates; Virginia's plan would be the second such in the United States; the approximate annual cost per inmate would be $6,750; special education for jail inmates should be 100% state funded. Seven recommendations are made, inclduing the following: an individuals' handicapping condition could be ascertained during routine pre-sentence investigations; an inmate identified as handicapped would be notified of his right to receive special education and would execute a written request for, or waiver of, services; local inmates would receive services either on-site or in the local school system; the Virginia Department of Education would be responsible for… [PDF]
(1994). Americans with Disabilities Act and Adult, Career, and Vocational Education. Trends and Issues Alerts. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that educational institutions make all of their programs, services, and activities readily accessible to and usable by learners with disabilities. The ADA also requires that all screening and testing procedures used to evaluate learners with disabilities be fair, accurate, and nondiscriminatory. Because educational institutions are employers, the ADA also affects their hiring and personnel practices by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability in all aspects of personnel selection and management. Adult, career, and vocational educators should view the ADA as both a challenge and an opportunity. Although passage of the ADA cannot change ingrained attitudes against persons with disabilities, it does open the possibility for adult, career, and vocational educators to provide educational opportunities to interpret the law through educational offerings. As appropriate, information about the ADA and its requirements can be… [PDF]
(1993). A Compilation of Federal Education Laws: Volume V, As Amended through December 31, 1992. Prepared for the Use of the Committee on Education and Labor of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the United States Senate, One Hundred Third Congress, First Session. This compilation reprints the texts of 22 federal laws relating to child welfare, especially child abuse prevention and treatment, drug abuse prevention, and education of children with disabilities. The compilation includes: Abandoned Infants Assistance Act of 1988; Act of March 3, 1879 (American Printing House for the Blind); Act of August 12, 1968 (Architectural Barriers Act of 1968); Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (section 5051; National Commission on Drug-Free Schools); Child Abuse Prevention, Adoption, and Family Services Act of 1988; Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act; Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978; Congressional Award Act; Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973; Drug-Free School and Communities Act of 1986 (Title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965); Education of the Deaf Act of 1986; Family Violence Prevention and Services Act; Helen Keller National Center Act; Individuals… [PDF]
(1993). International Charter of Physical Education and Sport. The International Charter of Physical Education and Sport was adopted by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1978 and amended in 1991. The charter's purpose is to place the development of physical education and sport at the service of human progress. The charter's individual articles address the following concerns: (1) the fundamental right to physical education and sport; (2) physical education and sport as an essential element of lifelong education; (3) meeting individual and social needs; (4) the importance of qualified personnel; (5) adequate facilities and equipment; (6) research and evaluation; (7) protection of the ethical and moral values of physical education and sport; (8) promotion through information and documentation; (9) influence of mass media; (10) role of national institutions; and (11) international cooperation as a prerequisite for the universal and well-balanced promotion of physical…
(1989). A Common Destiny: Blacks and American Society. This report describes and analyzes the status of blacks in American society since the eve of World War II. It concludes that the current state of black-white relations is the result of the negative attitudes that whites hold towards blacks and the disadvantaged conditions under which many blacks live. The following summary findings are reported: (1) the well-being of both blacks and whites has advanced over the past 50 years by all aggregate statistical measures; (2) blacks remain substantially behind whites by almost all the same indicators; (3) the economic status of blacks relative to whites has deteriorated since the early 1970s; (4) the political, educational, health, and cultural status of blacks showed gains from the 1940s through the 1960s and some indicators continued to improve after the early 1970s; (5) some blacks have increased their socioeconomic status but a large minority remain disadvantaged; (6) political and social activism led to sweeping changes in the legal…
(1989). A Common Destiny: Blacks and American Society. Summary and Conclusions. This report summarizes the findings and conclusions of a major study of the status of blacks in American society since the eve of World War II. The study concludes that the current state of black-white relations is the result of the negative attitudes that whites hold towards blacks and the disadvantaged conditions under which many blacks live. The following summary findings are reported: (1) the well-being of both blacks and whites has advanced greatly over the past 50 years by all aggregate statistical measures; (2) blacks remain substantially behind whites by almost all the same indicators; (3) the economic status of blacks relative to whites has deteriorated since the early 1970s; (4) the political, educational, health, and cultural status of blacks showed important gains from the 1940s through the 1960s and some important indicators continued to improve after the early 1970s; (5) some groups of blacks have increased their socioeconomic status but a substantial minority remain…
(1989). Pay Equity Activity in the Public Sector: 1979-1989. Full Report. Pay equity, sometimes referred to as comparable worth, is a remedy for wage discrimination based on race or sex. It's basic premise is that pay should be based on job-related factors such as skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions, not on a worker's gender or race. Studies have consistently demonstrated that jobs predominantly held by women and/or people of color are paid less than comparable jobs held by white men. Furthermore, studies have shown that these jobs are undervalued because they are held by women and/or people of color. In the 1980s, pay equity became a major political issue. During the decade pay equity initiatives in the public sector brought over $450 million to thousands of women and people of color working for states, cities, counties, school districts, community colleges, and hospitals. The facts about pay equity activities during this period are documented in this comprehensive report. Three levels of pay equity activity are identified: research/data… [PDF]
(1988). Sex Stereotyping and Bias: Their Origin and Effects. Training Module IV. The origin and effects of sex stereotyping and bias is the subject of this training module. It guides trainers through the activities and lessons necessary to aid education personnel in identifying sources and effects of sex stereotyping and bias in the classroom setting and in society as a whole. Seven activities are described and materials, including eight transparency masters, four handouts, and 17 visual items, are contained within the module. Goals for the participants are the following: (1) to become aware of the socioeconomic and psychological effects of sex role stereotyping; (2) to become aware of ways in which gender bias and stereotyping are manifested in the classroom setting; and (3) to review sources and effects of gender bias/stereotyping in the media. The suggested time for completion of the module is 3 hours. Eight more training modules and three technical assistance modules related to desegregation and equity are available. (VM)… [PDF]
(1980). Guidelines for Affirmative Action Employment Programs. 1980 Revision. This paper presents guidelines designed to provide assistance to school districts, county offices of education, and other educational agencies in carrying out the requirements of California law S.B. 179. The law was passed in 1977 by the State's legislature and required each public education agency to develop and implement an affirmative action employment program that seeks, hires, and promotes women and persons of minority, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. The statute further required the State Board to (1) include handicapped persons within the protection of the law; (2) file an affirmation of compliance with the Department of Education; and (3) file a report to the legislature by July 1, 1979, regarding the number of districts that had adopted and were maintaining affirmative action programs. The guidelines in the paper include recommendations as to the essential elements of a plan and recommended techniques for its implementation. Key terms are defined and concepts explained…. [PDF]
(1988). Compulsory Attendance vs. Home Instruction. Most states require compulsory attendance of students through age 16. Challenges to the compulsory attendance laws often derive from disputes between parents and school officials over home instruction. This paper reviews prominent court cases that address legal issues pertaining to home schooling. The landmark case of \Pierce v. Society of Sisters\ (1925) clearly established the right to send children to private, rather than public, schools. Since then, many states have addressed the issue of home education and most of the courts have held that home schooling does not constitute a private school. While many of the litigants have sought exemption from compulsory attendance on religious grounds, others have done so for educational reasons, and in a few of these cases, parents have prevailed. Nevertheless, in more recent cases of this type, parents have failed to convince the courts to grant them exemptions. These cases collectively suggest that parents have the right to control the…
(1984). What Happens When Basic Writers Come to College?. Basic writers are defined as those whose home dialects are least like standard English. Given that all dialects of English are capable of conveying complex thought, the question facing educators is, Should students be made to learn and work in standard English, or should they be given the opportunity to express themselves in their home dialect? Basic writers, unfamiliar with the genres of academic writing, write according to discourse forms with which they are familiar, such as soap operas or grammar school history lessons. The question of whether students should be required to learn conventional genres or allowed to work in ones with which they feel comfortable is answered by standard English advocates who say that the standard forms are necessary for college work and by advocates of other forms who say that criteria for college success must change. In looking at academia as a language community in which language creates and organizes a world view, the clash between dialects… [PDF]
(1981). Social Studies: A Resource Guide for Hearing-Impaired High School Students. The guide was written to give secondary level hearing impaired students exposure to real life problems from a social studies perspective. Units are outlined for the three levels of the high school years and provide an overview, information on vocabulary, target competencies, suggested activities, sources, and a list of objectives. The units are arranged in a sequence, with topics building on one another. Math concepts are integrated into the social studies instruction. Four units in the first level address the following major topics (sample subtopics in parentheses): consumer education (unit pricing, brand name products); banking (checking, savings accounts); credit and credit cards (credit card application, billing procedures); and American history. The second level focuses on budgeting (priorities, determination of a reasonable budget); insurance (kinds, purchase); income tax and income tax forms (deductions, tax preparation); renting (use of classified ads, rental…
(1981). Ohoyo Makachi: Words of Today's American Indian Women. A First Collection of Oratory by American Indian/Alaska Native Women. The volume presents a collection of 39 conference speeches symbolizing an effort by American Indian and Alaska Native women to speak for themselves, about themselves and to each other. Topics of speeches presented at Tahlequah consist of: past positives and present problems of Indian women; squaw image stereotyping; status of Indian women in Federal employment; cross cultural networking; how the Equal Rights Amendment relates to Indians; how educational equity can make a difference; contemporary Indian humor; networking in Indian country; accessing Indian education; leadership development; Indian women administrators as role models; educational equity insight; and impacting curriculum. Other speech topics presented outside the Tahlequah conference, but included for their significance are: changing times and changing roles of Alaska Native women; steps toward Native leadership; Indian women as change agents for Indian policy; historical perspective of the Dakota woman; Indian women's… [PDF]
(1982). Conflicts of Interest in Educational Reform Litigation. Most educational reform cases proceed as class actions in which there is no single aggrieved plaintiff with clearly identifiable views, but rather an aggregation of individuals, often with conflicting preferences. This paper explores the problems presented in educational reform class actions where plaintiffs disagree over the remedial objectives of the suit. Relying on reported decisions, interviews, and case histories, the paper first examines the conflicts that have surfaced within plaintiff classes, such as disputes over busing, mainstreaming, and deinstitutionalization. Discussion then focuses on the inadequacies of the existing procedural mechanisms for coping with such conflicts. Of particular concern are information and incentive structures that prevent courts, counsel, and litigants from addressing or accommodating the full range of class interests. The paper concludes by distinguishing problems that may be susceptible to procedural reform from those that are endemic to any… [PDF]
(1976). Guide to Black Politics 1976, Part I: The Democratic National Convention, Madison Square Garden, New York, July 12-15, 1976. This guide was designed to assist black delegates attending the 1976 Democratic National Convention. The guide is divided into four main parts. The first part contains information on convention procedures, standing committees, and various aspects of black participation in politics. The second and third parts lists the names of alternates as well as those of delegates to the convention. These two parts also include a general review of black voter behavior during the primaries, a historical review of black attendance at party conventions, a section on black women and black youth in politics, and a commentary on black voter potential. Part four contains some information on the Joint Center for Political Studies. The appendix provides data on the black voting age population in cities over 50,000 with 20% or more black population; congressional districts with 20% or more black population; the black vote in selected congressional and gubernatorial races of 1974; delegate votes state by…