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American School for the Deaf
The first special education school in the U.S., the American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb, was established in Hartford, CT. The school opened with 7 students with Thomas Gallaudet as principal and Louis Clerc as head teacher. A year later, poor and uneducated student filled the school; they ranged from 10 to 51 years of age. -
The Council for Exceptional Children
The Council for the Education of Exceptional Children is organized by a group of administrators and supervisors at Columbia University. In alignment with its core values - especially inclusiveness - the CEC is committed to embracing the diversity of beliefs and characteristics of its members. CEC works to promote educational practices that appropriately identify students from diverse backgrounds who receive special education and/or gifted services. -
Brown v. Board of Education
School segregation by race was unconstitutional, even if resources were allowed equally. This was the first time the federal government had advocated for students who experienced inequality and prejudice at school, and it set the path for future legislation for individuals with disabilities. After the decision in the case, parents of children with disabilities began to bring lawsuits against their school districts for excluding and segregating children with disabilities. -
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
This act initiated the role of the federal government in protecting and providing for students from disadvantaged backgrounds so that they would have equal access to the public education system. The grant program encouraged states to create and improve programs for student with disabilities. The program was revised in 1970 as the Education of the Handicapped Act (P.L. 91-230) and continued support for state-run programs for individuals with disabilities. -
Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
This case challenged the constitutionality of excluding individuals with mental retardation from public education and training. The state was not allowed to “deny to any mentally retarded child access to a free public program of education and training”. It helped establish principles such as “free appropriate public education”, “zero-reject”, and “least restrictive environment” that allow for access to education regardless of disability. -
Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia
Handicapped children had been excluded from public schools. Both the PARC and Mills cases, the courts required schools to describe the curricula, objectives, teacher qualifications, and supplemental services that were needed, area that would later be influential during the drafting of P.L. 94-142. This case directly led Congress to create Public Law 94-142, known as IDEA. This legislation opened to disabled children nationwide. -
Board of Education of Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley
This clarified the definition of FAPE. The court ruled that EAHCA requires states to provide support for students to benefit from a public education at a level of non-disabled peers. Under the EHA, state governments, were required to provide disabled students with a “free appropriate public education” in the “least restrictive environment” as detailed in an IEP developed for each child by school officials in consultation with parents. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
All school districts were required to develop a free, appropriate public education for all children. IDEA required that education be provided in the least restrictive environment for each child, meaning that students with disabilities should be taught in neighborhood schools in general education classes. It also extended special education services to include social work, assistive technology, and rehabilitation services. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
This allows districts to use a response-to-intervention (RTI) model for determining whether a child has a specific learning disability, and no longer requires that a child has a severe discrepancy between achievement and intellectual ability to qualify. This increases federal funds to provide early intervention services to students who do not need special education related services. It raised standards for special education licensure. -
Every Student Succeeds Act
This replaced the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). This includes many of the components of NCLB but provides additional opportunities for schools when students are not making adequate progress. It focus on improving educational outcomes for all students including student who have traditionally demonstrated low performance in academic areas. ESSA shifts student accountability from the federal government to state and local control where progress is monitored and sanctions determined.