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First School of Special Education
The first special education school in the US, the American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb, was opened in Hartford, CT by Thomas H. Gallaudet.
The founding of the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, CT, in 1817 was a crucial milestone in the way society related to people with disabilities.
The time and place are significant because it was a unique conjunction of different currents which led to the school's establishment. -
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
The Act was passed by the 89th United States Congress and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on April 11, 1965.
Part of Johnson's "War on Poverty," the act has been the most far-reaching federal legislation affecting education ever passed by the United States Congress.
The act emphasizes equal access to education, aiming to shorten the achievement gaps between students by providing federal funding to support schools with children from impoverished families. -
The Vocational Rehabilitation Act (VRA)
VRA- placed to correct the problem of discrimination against people with disabilities in the United States.
Individuals who qualify as having a disability have experienced discrimination both because of negative attitudes in regard to their ability to be an effective employee, as well as the physical barriers at work facilities.
There are additional sections of the Act that provide vocational counseling, training assistance and job placement for individuals with severe disabilities. -
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA)
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was enacted by the United States Congress in 1975.
This act required all public schools accepting federal funds to provide equal access to education and one free meal a day for children with physical and mental disabilities.
Public schools were required to evaluate children with disabilities and create an educational plan with parent input that would emulate as closely as possible the educational experience of non-disabled students. -
Education of the Handicapped Act (Public Law 99-457 )
Public Law 99-457 added preschool children to the Public Law 91-230 provisions.
Public Law 99-457 necessitates states to make available appropriate and free public education to children ages 3 through 5 who are disabled.
The law makes a requirement for states that offer interdisciplinary educational services to disabled toddlers, infants, and their families to receive financial grants. -
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability.
It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made discrimination based on race, religion, sex, national origin, and other characteristics illegal.
ADA disabilities include both mental and physical medical conditions.
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The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
IDEA Is a four-part piece of American legislation that ensures students with a disability are provided with Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) that is tailored to their individual needs.
IDEA was previously known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) from 1975 to 1990.
Overall, the goal of IDEA is to provide children with disabilities the same opportunity for education as those students who do not have a disability. -
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB)
NCLB was a U.S. Act of Congress that reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; it included Title I provisions applying to disadvantaged students.
It supported standards-based education reform based on the premise that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals could improve individual outcomes in education.
To receive federal school funding, states had to give these assessments to all students at select grade levels. -
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA )
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) is a United States law that mandates equity, accountability and excellence in education for children with disabilities.
There are approximately 6.7 million children and youth with disabilities in public schools across the United States.
Signed into law by President George W. Bush on December 3, 2004.
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The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
ESSA is a US law passed in December 2015 that governs the United States K–12 public education policy.
The law replaced its predecessor, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), and modified but did not eliminate provisions relating to the periodic standardized tests given to students.
Like the No Child Left Behind Act, ESSA is a reauthorization of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which established the federal government's expanded role in public education.
