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Plessy vs. Ferguson
This court case gave rise to the term "separate but equal" that governed so many Jim Crow Laws well in to the next century. The laws lead to separate school classrooms and facilities for children of color. This sparked a negative bias towards specific races and carries a connection to this day to the misinterpretation and elevated percentage and disparity among races of students in special education programs. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
This Supreme Court case played a vital role in the fight for equal opportunity, most famously in the case of segregation of races in schools. The case ruled that all students be granted the right to a public education regardless of race, gender, or disability. -
Larry P. vs Riles
This famous court case looked at the bias in assessment practices and how unfair practices lead to the wrongful classification of students with special needs. The case carried on for several years and found that there was a racial bias in certain IQ measures used to place students in school programs. -
Mills vs Board of Education
The 1970s began the true birth of the Special Education movement, which happened to coincide with the Civil Rights Movement at the time. Mills vs. Board of Education took place in Washington D.C. and called for students with disabilities to be given a free public education. -
Rehabilitation Act
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was passed to protect individuals from discrimination due to a disability. In doing so, it required that schools provide accommodations for any students who suffer from any disability that could potentially be holding them back in the classroom. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) was another step in making sure children with disabilities received a proper education. It required schools to create educational plans, while working with parents, to create the most fair plan of action possible. -
IDEA
EHA received multiple revisions throughout the years, in 1997 the Individuals with Disabilities Act took hold. The Act further enhanced the learning opportunities of those with disabilities with things such as free appropriate education, evaluation, and transition plans to help lead to a successful life. -
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was placed as an effort to increase standards-based education and hold schools to a certain quality in teaching practices and learning outcomes. In doing so, schools were given technological assistance and additional special education resources.