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1st school for Special Education
The first special education school was opened in Hartford, Connecticut by Thomas H. Gallaudet. It was originally called “the American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb” but it is now the American School for the Deaf. It was private and did have some athletic programs as well. Link text -
Brown V. Board of Education
U.S. Supreme Court in which Court ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segregated schools are otherwise equal in quality. Linda Brown was denied acceptance to the white school closest to her home, forcing her to take a bus to an all-black elementary school. Her case was taken to all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where Brown won with a unanimous vote. Link text -
JFK Retardation Panel
John F Kennedy started "a panel of outstanding scientists, doctors, and others to prescribe a plan of action in the field" of intellectual disabilities. The panel had 27 members who all came together and spent less than a year gathering information, studying data, and debating different approaches and solutions, and then producing a document with over 100 recommendations that the US government could take to combat the problem, some of which are still used today. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
ESEA provides federal grants to state educational agencies to improve the quality of elementary and secondary education. Their main purpose is to make sure public schools provide quality education to ALL students. It worked to shorten the achievement gap between students by providing funds to support schools with students in low-income households. -
Diana V. Board of Education
In this case, a group of Spanish-speaking students was wrongfully assigned to special education classes by an unqualified assessor. An assessor who only spoke English tested the students in only English and then using those results, assigned the students to special education classes. Because of this case, representation of special education is now monitored. Also, state law now requires testing in the student’s native language to ensure that children will be properly placed -
Mills V. Board of Education
Seven students with different mental and/or behavioral disabilities were being denied education from their school. The school knew they had a legal obligation but claimed they did not have the proper funds or resources to provide the help the students would need. The court ruled in favor of Milles and the other children, stating that although the school may not be able to provide all of the proper resources, they cannot deny acceptance to children with disabilities because of it. -
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
This act made it clear that people with disabilities could not be denied benefits from any programs receiving federal funds. This means that any organization or program that receives federal assistance cannot deny eligibility or acceptance on the basis of disability. This was one of the first major legislative efforts to equal the playing field for people with disabilities since many jobs would not hire them. -
Public Law 94 – 142 or Education of All Handicapped Children.
This act required all public schools to accept federal funds to provide equal access to education and one free meal a day for children with physical and mental disabilities. This act helped to support states in protecting the rights of and meeting the needs of children with disabilities. This act was later renamed IDEA. -
Board of Education V. Rowley.
Amy Rowley was a deaf child who was refused an interpreter. The school argued that they did not break any laws because they didn’t deny her acceptance into the school. This case challenged the interpretation of the Education for All Handicapped children because it didn’t require school services to be designed to help students with disabilities reach their full potential. This case required Individual Educational Plans for students with disabilities. -
No Child Left Behind Act.
No Child Left Behind Act. It is basically a continuation of the ESEA from 1965. This act requires standardized testing for language arts and math from third to eighth grade and then once again in high school. It also permits several federal education programs that are run by the state.