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Watson v. City of Cambridge, 1893
"The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that a child who was “weak in mind” and could not benefit from instruction, was troublesome to other children, made “unusual noises,” and was unable to take “ordinary, decent, physical care of himself ” could be expelled from public school." (Yell, 2016) This shows the mindset and ignorance of the time and how far we have come. -
Beattie v. Board of Education, 1919
"Ruled that school officials could exclude a student with disabilities, even though that student had attended public school until the fifth grade. The student’s condition caused drooling, facial contortions, and speech problems. School officials claimed this condition nauseated the teachers and other students, required too much teacher time, and negatively affected school discipline and progress." (Yell, 2016) This is more ignorance extended out in time. In this we see continued bias. -
Cuyahoga County Court of Appeal (Ohio), 1934
"Ruled that the state statute mandating compulsory attendance for children ages 6 through 18 gave the State Department of Education the authority to exclude certain students (Winzer, 1993)." People really didn't want special needs students in their classes. -
Brown v The Board of Education, 1954
"The decision held that racial segregation of children in public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which states that "no state shall make or enforce any law which shall ... deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." (McBride, n.d.) This case set up future openings for students with disabilities not to be discriminated against. -
Department of Public Welfare v. Haas, 1958
"Held that the state’s existing compulsory attendance legislation did not require the state to provide a free public education for the “feeble minded” or to children who were “mentally deficient” and who, because of their limited intelligence, were unable to reap the benefits of a good education." (Weber, 2008). Even in 1958, states weren't required to provide education for special needs students. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 1965
"ESEA is an extensive statute that funds primary and secondary education, emphasizing high standards and accountability. As mandated in the act, funds are authorized for professional development, instructional materials, resources to support educational programs, and the promotion of parental involvement."(Paul, n.d.) This helped give incentives to have education for all. -
State of North Carolina Law, 1969
"In 1969 the State of North Carolina made it a crime for parents to persist in forcing the attendance of a child with disabilities after the child’s exclusion from public school (Weber, 2008)." Basically if you advocated for your child, you could be punished by crime. -
Education of the Handicapped Act of 1970, 1970
"The EHA provided funding to states if they would initiate, expand, or improve programs and projects for students with disabilities. The law also provided funding to institutions of higher education to develop programs to train teachers of students with disabilities." (Yell, 2016) This was important because it continued funding for diversity and it started to train teacher to teach disabled students. -
Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 1973
"The primary purpose of Section 504 was to prohibit discrimination against a person with a disability by any agency receiving federal funds. These agencies are any that receive funds, personnel services, and interests in property, whether receiving these benefits directly or through another recipient."( Yell, 2016) We see the effects of this today as student's have 504 plans -
The Education For All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, 1975
"P.L. 94-142 mandated that qualified students with disabilities had the right to (a) nondiscriminatory testing, evaluation, and placement procedures; (b) education in the least restrictive environment; (c) procedural due process, including parent involvement; (d) a free education; and (e) an appropriate education, as developed by a group of persons, including a student’s parents, in an individualized education program (IEP)." (Yell, 2016) This bill gave special needs many rights. -
The Individuals with Disabilities Act, 1990
"The 1990 amendments added two disability categories, autism and traumatic brain injury. The law also added and clarified types of related services, assistive technology, and rehabilitation services." (Yell, 2016) This act is still applicable today. This bill also changed some names students are currently labeled. -
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, 2004
"The IDEA 2004 builds on NCLB by emphasizing increased accountability for student performance at the classroom, school, and school district levels. The changes were codified in the IDEA.The changes in IDEA 2004 are significant. Among the most important of these are changes in the IEPs, discipline, and identification of students with learning disabilities."(Yell, 2016) I feel like this act has a lot in common with what we will be learning in class.