-
In 1954, the landmark Supreme Court decision in Brown v Board of Education declared that segregation was unconstitutional. This decision was a jumping point for parents of students with disabilities to bring forth cases, as they argued that their children were being discriminated against based on their disabilities.
-
The ESEA was enacted to address the education inequality for underprivileged students. It was amended in 1966 to include a grant program to help states fund programs for handicapped children.
-
This case dealt with the exclusion of children with disabilities from school. The settlement agreed that "educational placement decisions must include a process of parental participation and a means to resolve disputes."
-
Congress investigated into children with disabilities and found their education to be lacking. In this year, legislation was introduced in Congress for children with disabilities.
-
This case was arguing for due process before expelling students with disabilities from school.
-
This law stated that all children with disabilities had a right to education and an accountability system for states and educational agencies.
-
In 1985, amendments were added to include FAPE for children with disabilities ages 3 to 5. This year an amendment was also added early intervention services for children birth to 2 years.
-
In 1990, the EHA was renamed to IDEA. Autism and traumatic brain injury was also categorized as disabilities with IDEA.
-
The NCLB increased accountability for schools when it came to students with disabilities.
-
This act reauthorized IDEA and aligned it better with NCLB. It also allowed for Response to Intervention to be use to identify students with learning disabilities.
-
ESSA replaced NCLB in 2015. In response to complaints from the states, Congress removed many portions of the law that dealt with accountability, including requirements for highly qualified teachers.