This 1978 article provides an overview of how Public Law 94-142—the Education for All Handicapped Children Act—was managed and implemented across states during its early years. It explains that the Act required states to develop detailed plans showing how they would guarantee children’s rights, outline procedures, and allocate resources to ensure a free appropriate public education for all children with disabilities . Both state plans and local district applications had to detail assurances, personnel development, program procedures, and compliance steps, creating a coordinated administrative structure across agencies.

The article also highlights the responsibilities state education agencies carried, including oversight of local districts, enforcement of civil rights protections, personnel training, monitoring systems, and efforts to eliminate architectural barriers in school buildings required under Section 504 . It emphasizes that implementation depended not only on federal oversight but also on strong local commitment—particularly from educators, families, and advocates—to ensure that the law’s protections and opportunities reached every child.