Special Education History

  • Horace Mann

    Mann created common schools and was the driving force for the common school movement. Mann is often called the father of American public education. The common school was to serve all students no matter religion or social status. Common schools were funded by taxes and did not charge tuition. Mann also helped create programs to train professional teachers.
  • Civil Rights Act of 1866

    This act declared that all people born in the U.S. are citizens no matter color, race or previous slavery or servitude. This was the first civil rights law in the U.S.
  • Special schools

    Special schools for certain disabilities were being set up. Blind and deaf schools were established for individuals with those disabilities. The Perkins School for the Blind was established in 1829.
  • Council for Exceptional Children

    The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the success of children and youth with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. The CEC helps advance the success of children with disabilities through advocacy and professional development of educators.
  • Brown v Board of Education

    Brown v Board of Education was a landmark case that declared segregation in schools was unconstitutional. Segregating based on the color of skin was detrimental to students. Parents of children with disabilities began to bring up lawsuits declaring that schools were discriminating against children with disabilities.
  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act

    The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was created to ensure disadvantaged children had access to quality education. This act was amended in 1966 to include the education of handicapped children.
  • P.A.R.C. v Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens brought a lawsuit against the state of Pennsylvania for the rights of all students to receive a proper and free education. First lawsuit of this type in the U.S.
  • Mills V. Board of Education

    Expanded on the lawsuit of PARC. The court stated that an education cannot be denied to a student because of “mental, behavioral, physical or emotional handicaps or deficiencies." Funding is not an excuse to not provide an education. If adequate funding is unavailable for special needs students then the funds from all students must be divided equally.
  • Section 504

    Section 504 was the first civil rights law for individuals with disabilities. Section 504 forbids organizations and employers from excluding or denying individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to receive program benefits and services.
  • IDEA

    Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a federal law that ensures a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities and ensures special education and related services to those children. IDEA has improved education and futures for disabled Americans.
  • American with Disabilities Act

    The ADA was created to ensure that all Americans can participate in the mainstream of American life. The ADA prohibits discrimination of people with disabilities in all public areas of life.
  • Reauthorization of the ESSA

    President Obama signed the reauthorization of the ESEA. This reauthorization is known as the Every Student Succeeds Act. This Act replaced The No Child Left Behind Law. ESSA is meant to help disadvantaged students receive a quality education.