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History of Special Education Timeline
The educational system has gone through several changes since the late 1800s to the present day to improve the educational opportunities of all students, but especially students with disabilities. In this timeline, we will examine some events, laws, and court cases that have made a profound impact on special education and the rights of students with disabilities. -
White House Conference on Children
The conference focused national attention on the needs of children and youth with disabilities. The primary purpose on the convention was to define and establish remedial programs for children with disabilities and to focus more attention on how children and youth with disabilities were treated.
(Yell, 2016)
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Council for Exceptional Children
This professional organization was founded by faculty and students from Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York and serves as an advocate for the educational rights of children and youth with disabilities. The CEC is a leader in the movement for obtaining rights for students with disabilities at the federal and state levels.
(Yell, 2016)
Photo Source: http://successfulteaching.blogspot.com/2012_01_01_archive.html -
Brown v. Board of Education
This was a landmark case in the civil rights movements and was important for future civil rights cases. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the term "separate but equal" school segregation was unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment and denied equal educational opportunities for children from minority backgrounds. (Yell, 2016; Forte Law Group, 2017)
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Elementary And Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
This was a law that signed by President Lyndon Johnson and was the first time the federal government was directly involved in providing funding at the state level for public education. The law served as a precursor for federal funding to support the needs of students with disabilities.
(Yell, 2016)
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Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens (PARC) v. Pennsylvania
A landmark case where the schools ignored or delayed their constitutional duty to provide public education to students with developmental disabilities. The case was resolved through a consent agreement that all children between the ages of 6 and 21 must be provided with a free public education.
(Yell, 2016; Forte Law Group, 2017)
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Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia
A landmark case in which parents and guardians of students with behavioral, mental, hyperactive, and emotional disabilities were who had been expelled or denied a public education. The Court ruled that the exclusion of students based on race and disability was unconstitutional. The Court outlined the due process procedures for the labeling, placement, and exclusion of students with disabilities.
(Yell, 2016; Forte Law Group, 2017) -
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was the first federal law that protected that civil rights of individuals with disabilities. The law prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities by any agency that receives federal funds for assistance. The law allows students who may not qualify under IDEA, to receive certain educational services in school.
(Yell, 2016)
Photo Source: https://www.davidson.k12.nc.us/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=800330&type=d&pREC_ID=1189840 -
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142 or EACHA)
The act required states to provide a free appropriate public education for students with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 18 and for students up to the age of 21. The law outlined the rights given to students with disabilities, the process of federal funding from the government to state and local educational agencies, and education in the least restrictive environment.
(Yell, 2016)
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Honig v. Doe
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the issue of expulsion for inappropriate behavior by a student with a disability. The ruling was that a school may not unilaterally exclude or expel a student with a disability for behaviors that are a result of the student's disability and the school district must follow the procedural safeguards outlined in the IDEA.
(Forte Law Group, 2017)
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Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The ADA extends the reach of protections from Section 504 for prohibition of discrimination against individuals with disabilities to employers, state and local governments, businesses open to the public, and privately owned businesses. The goal of the law is to allow individuals with disabilities equal opportunities to participate in their communities.
(Yell, 2016)
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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The law was an amendment to EAHCA and used first-person language to describe individuals with disabilities. IDEA outlined the categories of disability that would make a student eligible for special education, mandated transition services for students with disabilities aged 16 or older, and provides protection to the rights of students with disabilities.
(Yell, 2016)
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Every Student Succeeds Act
The law is a re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and a revision of the No Child Left Behind Act. The law requires that all students are taught to high academic standards to prepare them for college and their careers, as well as accountability and action for low-performing schools.
(U.S. Department of Education, n.d.)
Photo Source: http://www.nea.org/home/3207.htm
