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Supreme Court ruling that “separate but equal” schools were unconstitutional. This laid the foundation for ending segregation, including in special education. -
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed this law to bring federal funding to schools, especially to help disadvantaged students, including those with disabilities. -
The court said children with intellectual disabilities could not be denied free public education. This was one of the first cases to push for equal schooling. -
A case in Washington, D.C. that required schools to provide services to all students with disabilities, no matter the cost. -
This law guaranteed a free and appropriate education (FAPE) for children with disabilities and created the Individualized Education Program (IEP). -
The Supreme Court ruled schools must provide “some educational benefit” to students with disabilities, shaping what FAPE meant in practice. -
A civil rights law that banned discrimination against people with disabilities in schools, workplaces, and public spaces. -
Reauthorized and renamed EAHCA, emphasizing transition services, early intervention, and including autism and traumatic brain injury as categories of disability. -
This law raised accountability for schools by requiring testing and progress reports, including for students with disabilities. -
Replaced NCLB and gave states more control, while still protecting the rights of students with disabilities.