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Brown v. Board of Education
This Supreme Court Case ruled segregation in schools as unconstitutional. This particular case dealt with segregation based on race, rather than on disabilities. However, its ruling laid the groundwork for dealing with inequalities in the school system. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
This Act focused on providing resources to disadvantaged students. For instance, under ESEA, free and reduced lunch programs were put in place for children from low-income homes. The ESEA also focused greatly on grants and programs for children with disabilities, in hopes of providing them the adequate resources to succeed. -
Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia
The Mills case built on the PARC case from 1971, aiming to tackle the exclusion of children with disabilities from schooling. In this court case, it was established that schools must provide an adequate form of alternative schooling. Additionally, it set in place requirements for tracking students’ progress, as well as curriculum and services that would be provided for students. -
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA)
It was this act that ensured all disabled children free public education. Up until this point, children with learning disabilities’ education was in a general education setting. Now however, special education would be provided for students aged 5-18. https://sites.ed.gov/idea/IDEA-History -
Rowley v. Board of Education of Hendrick Hudson Central School
This case is most well known for defining FAPE. One of FAPE’s key components is that a child with disabilities’s educational services must be free. Children with disabilities are entitled to a public education, as per FAPE. Additionally, students’ education must be “appropriate”, meaning their education must be in accordance with the type of education necessary for the child’s needs, as well as any other aids and services required to provide an adequate education system for the child. -
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibited discrimination against people with disabilties in the private sector (part of the economy that is not controlled by government), meaning people could not be discriminated against financially or in economic fields, on the basis of disability. The ADA also ensured equal employment opportunities. Under the ADA, AIDS was now classified as a disability. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
IDEA renamed and replaced EAHCA, which had been in place since 1975. IDEA established social work and rehabilitation services as part of special education services. With IDEA, confidentiality was secured for children and their parents, as well as transition programs for children with disabilities by the age of 16 in order to help them better adjust to the workforce after schooling. -
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act
The No Child Left Behind Act was meant as a blueprint on how to better the education system, focusing on traditionally low-performing students, and ensuring that children do not remain trapped under “failing schools”. NCLB increased the amount of accountability in which teachers and administrators would face for children’s performance in school. With this new act, early reading interventions were implemented. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act improved on IDEA, which passed in 1990. With the passing of IDEIA, special education licensure standards were raised and short-term IEP objectives were eliminated. The ability to use a response-to-intervention (RTI) in order to determine whether a child has a learning disability was introduced. Certain policies were put in place to prevent a disproportionate amount of students in special education based on race and ethnicity. -
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
ESSA was signed into law in 2015, replacing the No Child Left Behind Act and serving to provide equal opportunity for all students. ESSA and NCLB are similar in policy, but with ESSA providing additional opportunities for schools in which students aren’t making sufficient progress. Unlike NCLB, accountability is no longer held at a national level, with progress monitoring and sanctions being controlled from the state and local levels. https://youtu.be/1nVyJLLD_-Q