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Important Events in the History of Special Education
This timeline highlights the pieces of legislation that have had a significant influence on current special education legislation. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
ESEA provided services (such as free and reduced lunch) to low-income students to create equal access to the public education system. It also created a grant program to fund special education programs for students with disabilities. -
Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (PARC) v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
This case challenged the consistutionality to deny public education to individuals with cognitive disabilities. The final ruling was that the state could not "deny to any mentally retarded child access to a free public program of education and training." -
Vocational Rehabilitation Act (VRA) (P.L. 93-112, Section 504)
This act makes it iillegal for any organization that use federal funds (including private organizations) to discriminate against persons with disabilities because of their disability. This act provided people with disabilities greater access to work, community services, and higher education. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142)
This act required that ALL children, regardless of their disability, receive a "free and appropriate public education" (FAPE). Students' learning needs would now be identified, and they would be provided with special education. Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and the term least restrictive environment (LRE) began to be used. -
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (P.L. 101-336)
This act provided equal opportunity for people with disabilities to "employment and public services, accomodations, transportation, and telecommunications." The private sector may not discriminate against people with disabilities. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
IDEA replaced EAHCA and extended the services required to be offered for people with disabilities, including social work, assistive technology, rehabilittation, bilingual education, and transition to employment services.Confidentiality and due process received by students and parents was extended. "People first" language became the way to refer to people with disabilities. -
IDEA continued
The renewal of IDEA from 1990 added a few more provisions, such as students with disabilities receive services even if they're expelled, schools have more responsibility to include students with disabilities in the general classroom, special education teachers may work with any student while assisting in a general education classroom, and a general education teacher must be part of the IEP team. -
No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
This act held schools accountable for student performance on standardized tests, including students from minorities and with disabilities. If the school makes adequate yearly progress (AYP), it has more flexibility in how it may use its federal funding. In failing schools, students may choose to enroll in a different school. -
Individuals with Disabiltiies Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) (P.L. 108-446)
This act is the most recent update to IDEA and continues to enforce that no child with disabilities can be refused public education at any public school (zero reject). States must identify and track the number of students with disabilities to plan for their needs (child find). Response to intervention (RTI) may be used to determine if a child has a learning disability. Students with disabilities must have an IEP and be placed in the least restrictive environment (LRE) possible.
