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The first normal school in the United States was established in Lexington Massachusetts. Three women took a test to become the first teachers trained at Framingham Normal School which later became Framingham State University. This event is important because it was the beginning of specialized training for special education teachers.
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Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing was the first public school of its kind. This school also teaches students manual skills such as sewing and cooking. This event is important because this successful school is thriving still today.
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The Council for Exceptional Children was founded during a summer session at Columbia University in New York. The CEC works to improve the educational lives of all students with exceptionalities. The CEC also develops professional development for educators. The CEC is one large important voice for students with exceptionalities.
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PL-93-112 otherwise known as the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, section 504 protects people with disabilities from discrimination wherever federal funding is given. This law is vital for all people, regardless of their disability, to give them the same opportunities as anyone else.
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The Education for All Handicapped Children Act enacted in 1975 was passed to ensure that all public schools that receive federal funding allow equal quality education to children with disabilities. This law was the start to how special education professionals evaluate and design learning for students with disabilities today.
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On this day, the Education for all Handicapped Children Act saw significant changes to new categories of disabilities as well as adding a transition plan for students leaving post secondary education. These amendments added autism and traumatic brain injury as covered disabilities.
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The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law as the most thorough civil rights law for people with disabilities. All perceived and diagnosed conditions are protected under the law. This law expands on the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and gives a broader protection of people with disabilities.
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The Education for all Handicapped Children Act was formally changed to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This important reauthorization included an amendment that gave students with disabilities access to the same curriculum as their peers.
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The NCLB Act of 2007 brought key changes to the amendments of 2001. This act gave educators the ability to refine achievement standards to fit the individual needs of students with disabilities. Schools were also put on alert if they did not meet adequate yearly progress for a year.
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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was a stimulus package to help the United States out of recession. The package included large amounts of funding for special education services to ensure that students with disabilities would continue to have access to the same quality education.