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14th Amendment - Equal Protection Clause (Constitutional Law)
During the Reconstruction Era, the 14th Amendment was ratified to ensure that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States,” were granted citizenship. The 14th Amendment also forbids states from denying any person "life, liberty or property, without due process of law" or to "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” (US Const. Amend. XIV). -
Elementary & Secondary Education Act of 1965 (Statutory Law)
Signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson as a part of the Civil Rights Movement and his advancement to attack poverty for school children. Title I regulations were implemented in the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965:- Provide supplementary education to eligible students.
- Provide additional funding to school districts who serve low-income housing.
- Academic focus on the needs of special populations.
- Improve the academic achievement of all children.
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Title IX (Statutory Law)
According to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) they enforce Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. (US Department of Education, 2015). Title IX protects people from discrimination such as pregnant females, gay, lesbian, and trans-gender based athletes in the public school systems. Title IX also protects students who participate in athletics who suffer from disorders that are also protected under Individual with Disabilities Act. -
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Statutory Law)
This law is widely known as Section 504 which protects students with disabilities in public schools. Section 504 require accommodations for these students in order to receive federal funds. Accommodations is a change in how a student will learn the same materials as their peers and alters their environment. -
Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) (Statutory Law)
IDEA requires public schools to provide special education services to eligible students and related services to those students. To qualify for services, a student's school performance must be adversely affected by their diagnosed disability in 1 of 13 categories. -
Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley (Judicial Law)
Amy Rowley filed a suit against her school because she was denied special education services; denied an interpreter for her deafness. The U. S. Supreme Court; defined that all handicap children had the right to "free appropriate public education." A policy must be tailored to the unique needs of the handicapped child by means of an "individualized educational program" (IEP). (Board of Ed. of Hendrick Hudson Central School Dist. v. Rowley 458 U.S. 176 (1982). -
American Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) (Statutory Law)
This law ties into the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. School districts are required to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified students so students can perform academically without causing undue hardship. -
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) (Statutory Law)
Signed by President George W. Bush, NCLB amended the Elementary & Secondary Education Act of 1965 and Title I by implementing provisions that apply to disadvantaged students. Standard based education reform, setting high standards, and establishing measurable goals must improve individual outcomes. NCLB required states to develop assessments in basic skills in order to receive federal school funding. States are required to give assessments to all students at select grade levels. -
Forest Grove School District v. T.A. (Judicial Law)
United States Supreme Court held the decision in a 6-3 majority that the Individual Education Act authorizes reimbursement for private special education services when a public school fails to provide free appropriate public education (FAPE) and the private school placement is appropriate, regardless of whether the child previously received special education services through the public school. (Forest Grove School District v. T.A., 2009). -
Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) (Statutory Law)
Replaced No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. ESSA holds schools accountable for the quality of education all students receive and includes accountability for disadvantaged students. -
Fry v. Napoleon Community District (Judicial Law)
Ehlena Fry was born with cerebral palsy. The elementary school where Fry attended would not provide modifications for her to use service dog. The family filed a suit claiming Fry was denied her rights under Individual with Disabilities Act, access to an Individual Education Program (IEP) which denied Fry to thrive and receive Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).
