The Changing Focus of Public Policy

Abstract

The arena of public policy affecting exceptional children has grown steadily during the past decade. One phase of this activity culminated with the passage of Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. Since then policy relating to exceptional children has continued to develop but with a shift of focus and with the involvement of a wider variety of policy makers. These changes in the policy development process are described by the authors. Three types of policy are defined through representative examples of changes and state special education policy within the past three years.