-
-
Description: Landmark Supreme Court case declaring racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. Impact: Established the principle that “separate is inherently unequal,” which laid the foundation for inclusion in education—not just racially, but for students with disabilities too. Today: This case inspired the legal and moral framework for integrating students with disabilities into mainstream classrooms. It’s the philosophical root of inclusive education. -
Description: The court ruled that children with intellectual disabilities are entitled to free public education. Impact: First case to affirm the right of children with intellectual disabilities to a public education. Today: It led directly to the creation of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA), now IDEA. It also inspired parent advocacy and the development of IEPs (Individualized Education Programs). -
Description: Extended the PARC ruling to all disabilities, emphasizing due process and equal access. Impact: Expanded the right to education to all children with disabilities, regardless of type or severity. Today: Mills reinforced that lack of funding is not a valid excuse to deny services. It’s why schools must provide FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education) even when budgets are tight. -
Description: This act established FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Impact: Introduced IEPs. Today: It's still, for all intents and purposes, the backbone of all special education law. It is built on principle such as zero reject, LRE, and parental involvement which also make up a large portion of IDEA's tenets. -
Description: Extended services to children 3-5 and introduced early intervention for infants and toddlers. Impact: This lead to more inclusive pre-school environments and replaced earlier incentive grant programs. -
Description: This renamed and restructured the EAHCA and added transition services, autism, and traumatic brain injuries as categories. Impact: Expanded services and emphasized accountability and transition Today: Continues to govern how schools identify, evaluate, and serve students with disabilities. Also introduced Person First language. -
Description: Strengthened accountability and required measurable goals as well as increased parental involvement. Impact: Promoted data-driven instruction and inclusion. -
Description: NCLB Mandated annual testing and disaggregated data organized by subgroup, including students with disabilities. Impact: It increased focus on academic achievement and accountability for all learners. *Replaced by ESSA -
Description: This aligned IDEA with the NCLB standards and emphasized early intervention services as well as Response to Intervention (RTI). Today: RTI is widely used today to identify disabilities in learning early and provide tiered support. The strengthened transition services after High School. -
Description: The ESSA replaced NCLB, maintained required accountability but also gave states more flexibility. Impact Today: States must track and report progress for students with disabilities as a district subgroup. It has encouraged individualized instruction and family engagement and led to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) which promotes high expectations for students with disabilities while lowering the barriers.