History of Special Education

  • Office of Special Education Programs is created

    This is a segment of the U.S. Department of Education. Although not required, this program helped create resources for children with disabilities.
  • PARC v. Pennsylvania

    The Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (PARC) brought a case against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In the end, they won the rights for children to receive a free public education through the age of 21.
  • Mills v. Board of Education of D.C.

    This too, helped students with disabilites receive a free public education. It helped pave the way for children with disabilities.
  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation of 1973 enacted

    This law helped people with disabilities receive protection against discrimination.
  • FERPA created

    The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, allows people with disabilities the abilty to look at their records and possibly have them amended.
  • The Handicapped Children's Protection Act

    This states that families of those with disabilities have rights with EAHCA (Education for All Handicapped Children Act).
  • IDEA

    Provides early intervention, special education, and other services to children with disabilities.
  • NCLB

    No Child Left Behind is an act dealing with public schools. Introduced by President G.W. Bush, its an education reform that sets high standards.
  • IDEA changes

    Changes to IDEA were made, mostly dealing with more accountability at the state and local levels. More interventions, sooner, are believed to be better for students with disabilities.

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