Special Education History

By lucyjb

  • Brown v. Board of Education

    Established the precedent that the court can affirm and guarantee the rights of an entire group of citizens. Though this case addressed racial segregation and the rights of students of all races to an equal education, it has become the foundation for advocating for the civil rights of any marginalized group.
    To read more about the legacy of Brown v. Board for future civil rights claims, Click Here.

  • PL 88-164: Community Mental Health Act

    This law designated funding for the training of special education teachers and for research into appropriate teaching practices for students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) and deafness.
    Find more information about the Community Mental Health Act from the National Council for Behavioral Health here.

  • Rehabilitation Act of 1973: Section 504

    This was the first law enacted in the US that extended civil rights protections to people with disabilities. Section 504 prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in any program that receives federal funds.
    For Frequently Asked Questions about the meaning and application of Section 504, visit the Office for Civil Rights Website.

  • Education for All Handicapped Children Act

    This law aimed to ensure that all handicapped children receive a fair public education that provides special education and services to meet the child's unique needs.
    The law provided that schools must accept all students with disabilities, that all these students must receive an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and be educated in the "least restrictive environment." Read more about the core components of the law here.

  • Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act

    CRIPA was passed to protect the rights of people with IDD who were living in nursing homes, mental health facilities and institutions run by the state (as well as the rights of people held in correctional facilities). The law gives the Attorney General the right to investigate the conditions within these institutions in order to ensure that people's health and safety needs are fulfilled.

  • Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments

    After realizing that early intervention is critical for students with disabilities, this amendment provided funding for states to create special education programs for children beginning at birth.

  • Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act

    The Javits Act was passed to support the educational needs of gifted and talented students. The Act does not protect the legal rights of gifted students but provides for the funding of research grants and programming for gifted students.

  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

    The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in any area of public life. The law addresses employment, public services, public accomodations, telecommunications, and transportation. Because education counts as a public service, this law requires that all students receive the same opportunities and guaranteed civil rights.

  • No Child Left Behind Act

    The NCLB Act requires that schools demonstrate that their students have met a minimum level of competency through testing. This law, in that it applies to all schoolchildren, sets a standard bar for all students to reach, regardless of their individual needs. For students with disabilities, this means that they are expected to meet the same benchmarks as all typically-functioning students.

  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

    IDEA was created to renew and strengthen the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. IDEA continues to ensure that all students receive a fair education and that all eligible children with disabilities receive the special services that they need. IDEA covers intervention and special education for all children from birth through age 21.
    The law requires that all special educators be specifically trained and hold a state certification for their area of teaching.

  • American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

    This economic revitilization act provided a one-time batch of funds for strengthening early intervention programs. Most of this money was used to improve the Child Find system, a data tracker to identify infants/toddlers with disabilities and a need for early intervention.

  • Every Student Succeeds Act

    ESSA is the most recent amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and reauthorization of IDEA. The law ensures a quality public education for all students, so it includes provisions that address the rights of students to special education services. ESSA requires that states provide accomodations for students during standardized testing, that these be included in IEPs/504s, and that no more than 1% of students with special needs take alternate assessments.