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Brown v. Board of Education
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional for educational institutions to segregate children by race. This action led to the parents of children with disabilities bringing lawsuits against their school districts for excluding and segregating children with disabilities. By excluding these children, the parents argued the schools were discriminating against their children because of their disabilities (Wright & Wright, 2017). -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
This law was enacted by Congress to address the inequality of educational opportunity for underprivileged children. It provided resources to help ensure that disadvantaged students had access to quality education (Wright & Wright, 2017). -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act Amendment of 1966
This law amended ESEA and established a federal grant program to assist states in the education of children with disabilities (Wright & Wright, 2017). -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act Amendment of 1970
This law amended ESAE and included the Education of the Handicapped Act (P.L. 91-230) to establish a core grant program aimed at prompting the States to develop educational programs and resources for individuals with disabilities (Wright & Wright, 2017). -
Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (PARC) v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled in favor of students with intellectual and learning disabilities in state-run institutions. The action called for students with disabilities to be placed in publicly funded school settings that met their individual educational needs, based on a proper and thorough evaluation (Wright & Wright, 2017). -
Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia classified students as “exceptional” – including those with mental and learning disabilities and behavioral issues. This ruling made it unlawful for the D.C. Board of Education to deny any children with disabilities access to publicly funded educational opportunities (Wright & Wright, 2017). -
Congressional Investigation
Congress launched an investigation into the status of children with disabilities and found that millions of children with special education needs were being under-served. The Bureau of Education for the Handicapped estimated that of the 8 million children requiring special education services, only 3.9 million students adequately had their educational needs met, 2.5 million were receiving a substandard education and 1.75 million were not receiving educational services (Wright & Wright, 2017). -
Public Law 94-142: The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975
Congress enacted this law so that all children with disabilities had access to an education and due process of law. It established a process by which State and local educational agencies may be held accountable for providing educational services for all handicapped children and included “procedural safeguards” that are designed to protect the rights of children and their parents (Wright & Wright, 2017). -
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
This act was signed into law in 2002 and requires states to develop assessments in basic skills to be given to all students, if those states are to receive federal funding for schools. The standards are set by each individual state and require all students, including students with disabilities, to be proficient in math and reading by the year 2014 (Wright & Wright, 2017). -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004
Known as IDEA 2004, the reauthorized statute increased the focus on accountability and improved outcomes by emphasizing reading, early intervention, and research-based instruction by requiring that special education teachers be highly qualified. The act provides an education that meets a child’s unique needs and prepares the child for further education, employment, and independent living and protects the rights of both children with disabilities and their parents (Wright & Wright, 2017).
