History of Special Education

By CANSDS

  • First law in education

    Massachusetts passed the first compulsory education law making it illegal for children not to go to school (Yell, 2016)

  • Watson v. City of Cambridge

    Massachusetts Supreme Court says students who are 'weak in mind' could be expelled from school (Yell, 2016).

  • First White House Conference on Children

    Conference to define and create programs for students with disabilities (Yell, 2016)
  • Period: to

    Segregated Classes

    Students with disabilities were segregated into separate classes away from other students (Yell, 2016)

  • First state passes law

    New Jersey is the first state that passed a law requiring education for students with disabilities (Yell, 2016)

  • Laws passed in all states

    Compulsory education laws were passed in all states (Yell, 2016)

  • Beattie v. Board of Education

    Wisconsin Supreme Court said student with disabilities could be expelled for being nauseating to teachers and other students(Yell, 2016)

  • Founding of the CEC

    The Council for Exceptional Children was formed as a professional organization for the support and education of students with disabilities(Yell, 2016)

  • First parent advocacy group

    The Cuyahoga County Ohio Council for the Retarded Child was formed. They created special classes for students with disabilities and started the movement for advocacy (Yell, 2019)

  • Brown v Board of Education

    This court case was the center of equal rights in education and set the stage for equality for students with disabilities (Yell, 2016).

  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act

    Also known as the ESEA, this was the first time the federal government stepped into education with financial support (Yell, 2016)

  • A judicial step backwards

    North Carolina made it a crime for parents of students with a disability to fight for their child to continue to attend public schools once they have been excluded from the school system (Yell, 2016)

  • Education of Handicapped Act

    Also known as EHA, was formerly the Title VI of the ESEA, this was federal funding for states that improved projects and programs for students with disabilities (Yell, 2016)
  • Period: to

    Early 1970's

    Around this time, most states were passing laws to require public education for children with disabilities (Yell, 2016)

  • Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    Also known as PARC, this court case established free public education for every student with a disability between the ages of 6 and 21 (Yell, 2016)

  • Mills v. Board of Education

    This court case established the unconstitutionality of segregation based upon race, so too was segregation based upon disabilities (Yell, 2016)

  • Section 504

    Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act was the first federal protection of persons with disabilities (Yell, 2016)

  • The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps

    Also known as TASH, an advocacy group that support students with disabilities and their families with active involvement in court cases (Yell, 2016)

  • EAHCA renamed IDEA

    Individuals with Disabilities Education Act changed the wording to be more 'people first'; 'disability' instead of 'handicapped', child with a disability and not handicapped child, categories of autism and traumatic brain injury were added, and students 16 years and above are included in the writing of IEPs.

  • No Child Left Behind

    Also known as NCLB, federal ruling to bring all students up to state standards

  • President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education

    A commission to look at improving special education that developed three recommendations; 1)SpEd should focus on results and not the process, 2)early intervention, and 3) general and special education should work together with scientifically based instruction (Yell,2016)

  • IDEA Improvement Act

    Changes were made to the existing IDEA; defined a highly qualified special education teacher and changed some of the ways school districts can create IEPs (Yell, 2016)