Federal Direction Needed for Educating Handicapped Children in State Schools

The Public Law 89-313 program was enacted in 1965 to make available federal funds to supplement limited state efforts in providing special educational services for institutionalized handicapped children. Because of changes in federal and state laws and advances in educational techniques and concepts, considerable confusion and conflict has arisen among program participants on what the federal program is intended to accomplish and the respective roles of federal and state governments in supporting education for the handicapped in state-operated and state-supported schools.