(1981). Selected Bibliography of Government Publications about Black Americans Published in 1977-1978. This annotated bibliography of government publications is based on information from the Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications, the Selective List of Government Publications, and the publications lists of individual agencies. All items were printed in 1977 or 1978, and reflect subjects of special interest to black Americans. The bibliography does not include (1) Census Bureau publications except those which deal specifically with the black population; (2) House or Senate hearings except those which dealt in depth with an area of interest such as busing; (3) reprints of articles originally published in the U.S. Government serials or periodicals indexed in one of the standard sources; (4) ERIC documents; or (5) publications sold by the National Technical Information Services which were available only on microfilm or microfiche. Annotations include price and ordering information. There are approximately 150 entries. (Author/JCD)…
(1981). A Systems Approach for Ameliorating Possible Prima Facie Denial of Hispanic/Black Students' Rights Through Disproportionate Enrollment in Special Education. The paper discusses the issue of educational equity, principles of systems analysis, systems approaches in the educational milieu, the evaluation aspect of the systems approach, and application of the systems approach to preventing disproportionate enrollment of Hispanics and Blacks in special education classes in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The literature on the systems approach and its application to education are reviewed. The importance of the evaluation component is stressed with diagrams applying the systems approach to instructional systems. The Holyoke application stemmed from a state requirement that the school system submit a remedial plan designed to address the problem of disproportionate placement of Hispanics and Blacks. The plan's development resulted in determination of eight goals with related objectives. Goals included appropriate identification and referral of minority students to special education and identification of the primary home language of all students. Also…
(1979). Discrimination in Canada: A Survey of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Concerned with Discrimination. To identify attitudes of the Canadian public toward discrimination, the Canadian Human Rights Commission surveyed a representative sample of 2,000 Canadians. This document describes the survey, presents highlights, and explains how the survey is being used. The specific purpose of the survey was to provide information on public opinion regarding discriminatory practices based on factors having nothing to do with the activity from which a person is excluded. Five categories of questions were presented to respondents–(1) knowledge, judgments, and attitudes relative to human rights agencies and legislation in Canada, (2) personal knowledge and experience of discriminatory practices, (3) changes in patterns of discrimination, (4) special programs or affirmative action for disadvantaged groups, and (5) the extent of tolerant attitudes. Findings from analysis of responses to questions in these categories indicated that 68% of respondents considered the commissions effective in removing…
(1980). Mental Retardation and the Law: A Report on Status of Current Court Cases. Brief reports on the status of approximately 75 ongoing or recently decided court cases in states of relevance to the mentally retarded are provided. Cases cover the following issues: commitment, community living and services, criminal law, discrimination, guardianship, institutions and deinstitutionalization, medical/legal issues, parental rights and sexuality, and special education. Provided for each case is the name of the state, name and number of case, names or positions of attorneys involved, references to previous reports about the case, a brief description of the issue, and a summary of the current status. Over half the document consists of a brief filed by Advocacy, Inc. concerning involuntary sterilization. The brief provides an historical background of sterilization, a legal analysis of sterilization, and suggests 14 standards to be applied in applications for involuntary sterilization of a disabled individual. (DB)… [PDF]
(1978). Legal Rights: A Handbook for Parents. Intended for parents of handicapped children, the handbook summarizes information regarding legal rights in the following areas: procedural safeguards (records, program planning, assessments), hearings, resource information, due process rights, local education agency resources, membership in the Maryland State Board of Education, state advisory committees, Maryland information and referral services, direction centers, organizations, and parental involvement in placement procedures. A brief review of pertinent federal legislation is included. Timeline charts regarding the IEP (individualized education program) process and hearing process are provided. The handbook concludes with a glossary of 28 terms, such as "FERPA" (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act) and "state hearing review board". (CL)…
(1978). A Statistical Theory of Age-Discrimination in Employment. A tentative theory of age-discrimination is indirectly tested through labor statistics concerning the duration of unemployment. After first reviewing the inadequacies and inapplicability of sex and race discrimination hypotheses derived from the conventional economic models, this analysis synthesizes statistical models of discrimination to explain the negative correlation between age and the duration of unemployment. Under a quasi-experimental model for the varying levels of overall economic activity over the period studied, a statistical explanation is provided for the relative stability in age-related unemployment duration differences and a paradoxical relationship to the general unemployment rate. (Author)…
(1979). Children's Rights; Contemporary Perspectives. This volume emerged as an outgrowth of a conference on Children's Rights and Child Advocacy held at Teachers College, Columbia University, in June of 1977. The contributors include child advocates from the fields of law, education, psychology, and government. The writers maintain several focal points in their papers. Central to their arguments is an acknowledgment of the child as a human being, as an individual to be respected, and as one who is greatly influenced by his or her environment. A second point of focus is on the struggle for an articulation of what the rights of children should be from a humanistic as well as a legalistic perspective. A third crucial issue is a consideration of the guarantee of children's rights. A fourth theme is crisis prevention and prescriptive child advocacy measures. The concluding chapter is devoted to providing an opportunity for children to express their thoughts and feelings about children's rights. (Author/IRT)…
(1980). Justificatory Rhetoric and Institutional Legitimation: A Case Study. To widen the concept of justificatory rhetoric (which has previously been considered as a presidential rhetorical form delivered in a context of foreign policy emergency) and to show some of its inherent hazards, this paper analyzes a 1978 address by Governor James Hunt of North Carolina, in which he justified his decision not to pardon the demonstrators known as the Wilmington Ten but instead to reduce some of their prison sentences. The paper begins by explaining the Wilmington Ten case and the circumstances that led to Hunt's decision to take executive action in it. It then outlines characteristics of justificatory rhetoric–it justifies an action already taken or in progress, it takes place in a context demanding immediate action, the crisis situation is removed in space from those asked to accept the justification, the action is based on little information and contemplation, and its themes are based on the themes of free world leadership and antagonism to Communism–and shows…
(1963). THE RIGHT TO EQUAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES AS A PERSONAL AND PRESENT RIGHT. THE 1954 SUPREME COURT DECISION IN "BROWN VERSUS BOARD OF EDUCATION," DECLARING RACIAL SEGREGATION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS DISCRIMINATORY AND IN VIOLATION OF THE EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE OF THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT, IS A LANDMARK IN AMERICAN LEGAL AND POLITICAL HISTORY. IT IS INFERRED FROM THE 1954 DECISION THAT THE RIGHT TO BE FREE FROM DISCRIMINATION WAS A "PERSONAL" AND "PRESENT" RIGHT OF THE INDIVIDUAL. HOWEVER, THE SECOND BROWN DECISION IN 1955 OPENED THE DOOR TO DESEGREGATION PLANS UNDER WHICH THE ACHIEVEMENT OF EQUAL TREATMENT COULD BE POSTPONED. THE SUPREME COURT GAVE THE LOWER COURTS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF REQUIRING SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO MAKE A PROMPT AND REASONABLE START TOWARD DESEGREGATION BUT STATED THAT ADDITIONAL TIME MIGHT BE NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THE RULING. BY THIS DECISION THE SUPREME COURT ADOPTED THE POSITION THAT A PERSON WHOSE RIGHT TO EQUAL PROTECTION HAS BEEN DISREGARDED BY AN AGENCY OF THE STATE IS NOT NECESSARILY ENTITLED TO IMMEDIATE…
(1967). REPORT ON PROGRESS IN 1966 ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, THIRD ANNUAL REPORT. THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN TO CONTRIBUTE IN EVERY ASPECT OF NATIONAL LIFE CONTINUED TO EXPAND AND INCREASE AT A RAPID PACE DURING 1966. OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE WAS THE AMENDMENT OF THE FEDERAL FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT WHICH EXTENDED MINIMUM WAGE AND EQUAL PAY COVERAGE TO AN ADDITIONAL 3.2 MILLION WOMEN EMPLOYEES IN PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT. THE STATE COMMISSIONS ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN WERE INFLUENTIAL IN GETTING MINIMUM WAGE LAWS ENACTED IN THREE ADDITIONAL STATES, EQUAL PAY LAWS IN FIVE, AND AMENDMENTS OF FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICE LAWS IN FIVE. HEALTH AND WELFARE LEGISLATION, OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS, VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION, BIRTH CONTROL INFORMATION, CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWS, AND AVAILABILITY OF CHILD CARE FACILITIES IMPROVED BOTH WOMEN'S EMPLOYMENT POSSIBILITIES AND STATUS AS A HOMEMAKER. AN INCREASED NUMBER OF WOMEN EARNED COLLEGE DEGREES, AND SALARIES OF WOMEN COLLEGE TEACHERS IMPROVED. THE YEAR ALSO MARKED IMPORTANT GAINS FOR DISADVANTAGED GIRLS AND WOMEN. TWELVE JOB CORPS…
(1967). INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE MENTALLY RETARDED, A SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS OF STATE LAWS GOVERNING ADMISSION TO RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES, AND LEGAL RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS OF INSTITUTIONALIZED PATIENTS. SUMMARIZING AND ANALYZING LAWS GOVERNING THE ADMISSION OF THE MENTALLY RETARDED TO RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES AND THE LEGAL RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS OF INSTITUTIONALIZED PATIENTS, THIS REPORT COVERS THE 50 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AT THE END OF 1966. AFTER A CONSIDERATION OF THE METHOD OF REPORTING, TERMINOLOGY, AND DEFINITIONS, 13 TABLES AND CHARTS ARE PROVIDED WITH DISCUSSIONS. STATUTORY PROVISIONS TREATED INCLUDE VOLUNTARY ADMISSION (APPLICANTS AND PATIENTS' PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA, RELEASE, AND DISCHARGE), INSTITUTIONALIZATION BY CERTIFICATION (APPLICANTS AND PATIENTS' CONSENT, PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA, REVIEW, RELEASE, AND DISCHARGE), AND JUDICIAL COMMITMENT (PRE-HEARING, HEARING, POST-HEARING, AND DISCHARGE PROCEDURES). ALSO PRESENTED ARE THE PROTECTIONS PROVIDED AND RIGHTS ASSURED INSTITUTIONALIZED PERSONS, INCLUDING CONFIDENTIALITY, COMMUNICATION, TRAINING, TREATMENT, PERIODIC REVIEW, AND CONDITIONAL RELEASE. FOOTNOTES THROUGHOUT PROVIDE REFERENCES OR SUGGEST FURTHER… [PDF]
(1980). Historical and Political Dimensions of Title III–Strengthening Developing Institutions of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Literature and congressional testimony are reviewed in this examination of the political and social dimensions surrounding the passage of Title III (Higher Education Act of 1965) and its subsequent interpretation through the 1970's. The report first examines the intent of the bill, which was designed to provide financial assistance to developing institutions of higher education, and then discusses the movement for the recognition and improvement of Black colleges which, during the 1950's and 1960's, set the stage for the bill's passage. Problems encountered since 1965 in interpreting the phrase "developing institution" are then discussed, including the debate over whether to include community colleges, the insistence of many Black leaders that priority be given to small, four-year colleges, and the various criteria recommended and/or used to determine institutional eligibility. Next, the report examines alleged abuse of the Title III program, including funding control… [PDF]
(1977). Intellectual Freedom and Racism. Interracial Books for Children Bulletin, v8 n4,5. This issue of the "Interracial Books for Children Bulletin" contains a special section focusing on the film called, "The Speaker". This film purports to deal with an assault on the First Amendment and with the necessity for eternal vigilance in defense of U.S. Constitutional freedom. The setting is an integrated high school which is thrown into turmoil when its current events committee schedules the appearance of a scholar who believes that blacks are genetically inferior to whites. The alleged assault on freedom occurs when the school authorities cancel the event. A comprehensive discussion of the film and related issues is presented in a series of articles. Other articles in this issue deal with: 1)activities conducted by a Boston area group which is working with teachers to promote anti-racist education, 2)a graphic look at the current status of women and minorities on U.S. school staffs, and 3)a teacher offers pointers on what to avoid in classroom…
(1978). Human Relations in School Settings. One of 52 theoretical papers on school crime and its relation to poverty, this chapter discusses experiences in the Human Relations Program at the University of Minnesota. The program has developed from one that offers undergraduate and graduate courses in human relations to one that also responds to requests from community agencies other than the schools for service, consultation, and evaluation. The broad range of concerns in the program includes examination of discrimination in laws, traditions, and practices of institutional racism, and how discriminatory attitudes affect both victims and members of the dominant group. The concern in this paper is focused on the attitudes and biases of teachers and how they influence current practices in the classroom and elsewhere in the school. (Author/MLF)…
(1975). Compulsory Racial Balance in the Schools. In this paper, the author analyzes what has happened since 1954 in the area of school integration and suggests what he feels are appropriate policies for the future. He identifies two major changes that have affected school integration since 1954–a change in residential patterns that has increased segregation in recent years, and a change in the idea of what constitutes desegregation. The courts have changed the \rules of the game,\ he argues, by confusing the essentially different goals of eradicating legally sanctioned segregation and overcoming the educational handicaps of blacks that have resulted from official and unofficial discrimination. The author asserts that, because of white flight to the suburbs, efforts to achieve compulsory racial balance in the schools will succeed only where there is sufficient community support for the idea. A more realistic alternative, he suggests, is to attack the effects of residential discrimination by adopting a voluntary \integrating… [PDF]