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Special Education Law

  • Brown v. Board of Education

    Brown v. Board of Education
    Required integration of schools and set the precedent for students with disabilities because if segregation based off of race was a denial of equal education than exclusion of SWDs was also a denial of equal education opportunity.
  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act

    Elementary and Secondary Education Act
    Provided direct federal funding to provide an education to students with disabilities. This was an effort to fight the war on poverty.
  • Education of the Handicapped Act

    Education of the Handicapped Act
    Provided grants to train special education teachers and state grants to provide programs for students with disabilities.
  • PARC v. PA

    PARC v. PA
    Established that all children 6-21 years of age must receive a free public education. SWD must receive education programs most like that of their nondisabled peers.
  • Mills v. Board of Education

    Mills v. Board of Education
    SWD must receive a publicly supported education and procedural safeguards.
  • Section 504

    Section 504
    Prohibited discrimination against individuals in programs for students with disabilities. Also provided federal funding to programs.
  • Education for All Handicapped Children Act

    Education for All Handicapped Children Act
    Provided federal funding to states that educate students with disabilities. Established FAPE (free and appropriate public education). As well as established the requirement for the LRE (least restrictive environment. EAHCA also required that schools develop IEPs for students with disabilities and established procedural safeguards.
  • Handicapped Children's Protection Act

    Handicapped Children's Protection Act
    Parents can recover attorney fees if they win a due process hearing or court case.
  • Education of the Handicapped Amendments

    Education of the Handicapped Amendments
    Educate infants birth through 2. Required that individualized family service plans be given for eligible children. It also extended EAHCA's part B to 3-5 year olds.
  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

    Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
    Renamed EAHCA, while adding traumatic brain injury and autism as new disability categories. IDEA also required the addition of a transition plan to a student age 16+'s IEP. IDEA also established that states were susceptible to lawsuits for violations of IDEA.
  • IDEA Amendments

    IDEA Amendments
    Added IEP content and changed the IEP team, as well as protecting students with disabilities from disciplinary measures. These amendments also now required states to offer mediation to parents prior to a due process hearing.
  • No Child Left Behind Act

    No Child Left Behind Act
    Reauthorized ESEA, supported standards-based education reform and included Title 1 provisions for disadvantaged students. NCLB also expanded federal involvement in public education by requiring annual testing and teacher qualifications, which all impact school funding.
  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act

    Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
    IDEIA defined a "highly qualified" special education teacher while also removing short term goals from IEPS with the exception of severe cases. IDEIA also strongly encouraged the use of RTI (response to intervention) prior to evaluation for eligibility.
  • Every Student Succeeds Act

    Every Student Succeeds Act
    Reauthorized ESEA and required that students be taught for college and career readiness. Now required evidence-based interventions to take place in the classroom. Goal was to increase high-school graduation rates and decrease dropout rates.