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Brown v. Board of Education
This landmark decision declared that "separate but equal" was not truly equal. The ruling on this case determined that keeping African American students in separate schools was not best practice and put them at a disadvantage. Though most schools did not immediately allow African American students to attend this case was the starting point for desegregating American schools. This historical event was one of the most important steps toward improving American school systems. -
Public Law 94-142
Before this act, students with disabilities and special needs students did not have the same rights and access to education that other children did. At the prompting of parents, Congress began to create a Law that would allow students with disabilities to be able to receive an education, just like any other child. In 1975, Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act or Public Law 94-142. This was another major step toward improving the American education system. -
IDEA
This piece of legislation made improvements to Public Law 94-142 or PL 94-142. With this improvement student with disabilities were able to receive more specific education that is tailored to meet their needs. This would include what is now known as and IEP or individualized educational program, which helps students be able to receive education in the way that is best for that student. This historic event has shaped the way that many special education programs are run in schools today. -
No Child Left Behind Act
In the late nineties there were evident gaps in test scores that Congress made strides to improve. In 2002, The No Child Left Behind Act was put in place to ensure that there were not children that were slipping through the cracks and that our children were receiving quality education from quality educators. This meant different and specialized education as well as training and education for teachers. -
Race to the Top
In 2009, when America was not in a great place economically, President Obama was careful to ensure that the American education system received funding. He introduced a grant program, which was able to help states with education reform and better schools across the country. This event was important to the history of education in America because it continued to improve schools across the country.
