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Special Education Law and Policy Digital Timeline

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    Special Education law timeline

  • Brown v. Board of Education, 1954

    Brown v. Board of Education, 1954
    Supreme Court rules that segregation in public schools is unconstitutional
    Began the movement of equality in education
  • The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

    The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
    Provided state federal money to states in order to improve opportunities for students who were disadvantaged. this includes children with disabilities
  • Education of the Handicapped Act of 1970

    Education of the Handicapped Act of 1970
    Provide state grants to help expand education programs for students with disabilities
    Federal government money was given to schools to help train special education teachers better
  • Diana v. State Board of Education (1970)

    Diana v. State Board of Education (1970)
    Helped fix misclassification of students in special education
    IQ tests were not biased and were given in the language appropriate for the student
  • PL 91-230 Extension of Programs of Assistance Act

    PL 91-230 Extension of Programs of Assistance Act
    Extended and added amendments to the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965. By establishing a legal definition of learning disabilities as well as recognizing the need for special education for gifted and talented students.
  • Mills v. Board of Education (1972)

    Mills v. Board of Education (1972)
    Since segregation was deemed unconstitutional, it also is unconstitutional to deny students with disabilities as education
  • Required schools to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)

    Required schools to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
    Required schools to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
  • Congressional Investigation of 1972

    Congressional Investigation of 1972
    Congress set out to uncover how many children with special education needs were being underserved. The Bureau of Education for the Handicapped found that there were eight million children requiring special education services. Of this total, 3.9 million students adequately had their educational needs met, 2.5 million were receiving a substandard education and 1.75 million weren’t in school. source: https://educationonline.ku.edu/community/idea-timeline
  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (1973)

    Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (1973)
    Prohibited discrimination against those with disabilities in programs that received federal funding
  • Education Amendments (1974)

    Included rights from PARC v. Commonwealth of PA and Mills v. Board of Education in law
  • Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975

    Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975
    Federal funding was provided to those who promised to education students with disabilities
    Started requiring schools to develop an Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
    Established procedural safeguards
  • amendment to the All Handicapped Children Act

    Public Law 99-457 was an amendment to the All Handicapped Children Act, which mandated that individual states provide services to families of children born with disabilities from the time they are born. Previously, these services were not available until a child reached the age of three.
  • Armstrong v. Kline (1979)

    Armstrong v. Kline (1979)
    Parents of student noticed their children in special education began to regress during summer break
    Ruled in favor of plantiffs and brought forth the extended school year
    ESY is available to children with disabilities
  • Hendrick Hudson School v. Rowley 1982

    Hendrick Hudson School v. Rowley 1982
    School sued due to interpreter being taken away from deaf student
    Court ruled in favor of school because Amy Rowley was succeeding without the interpreter
    Case offered a new interpretation of FAPE
    Created a definition of FAPE and clarified that students don't have to have maximum support but enough to receive educational benefits
  • The Handicapped Children's Protection Act of 1986

    The Handicapped Children's Protection Act of 1986
    Parents were able to recover attorney fees if they won in a court case or hearing
  • Timothy W v. Rochester School District (1989)

    Student was denied special education services because the school felt his disability was "too severe" to benefit
    Led to Zero-rejection policy
    Schools could not deny a child special education services, no matter how severe their disabilities are
  • Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1990

    Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1990
    Added traumatic brain injury and autism as new categories of disability
    Transition element for students age 16 or older was added
    "People first" language began
  • The Idea Amendments of 1997

    Changed the IEP team and added new components
    Reorganized the structure of IDEA
    Began requiring states to offer intervention efforts to parents before due process hearings
  • No Child Left Behind Act of 2002

    No Child Left Behind Act of 2002
    Reaction to the low academic achievement of American students
    Began holding the government responsible for the gains for students academically
    Standardized testing began
  • IDEA Improvement Act of 2004

    IDEA Improvement Act of 2004
    Gave a definition to "highly qualified" special education teacher
    encouraged the use of the RTI model in classrooms
    Removed short term goals in IEP's except for those with severe disabilities
  • Disabilities Act Amendments of 2008

    The Amendments Act emphasizes that the definition of "disability" in Section 504 and the ADA should be interpreted to allow for broad coverage. Students who, in the past, may not have been determined to have a disability under Section 504 and Title II may now in fact be found to have a disability under those laws.
  • American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009

    American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009
    Signed by President Barack Obama, this campaign promises "funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" and 12.2 billion dollars in additional funds
  • IDEA Reauthorized 2011

    IDEA Reauthorized 2011
    Students with disabilities are now required to be included on state and district-wide assessments. Regular Education Teachers are to be included on the IEP team.
  • Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) 2014

    Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) 2014
    authorizes federal financing for programs that help people with disabilities lead more independent lives, acquire marketable skills, and find gainful employment
  • The Achieving a Better Living Experience (ABLE) Act of 2014

    The Achieving a Better Living Experience (ABLE) Act of 2014
    ensures that people with disabilities may set aside funds for savings without jeopardizing their access to government assistance. Disabled individuals may utilize the money for things like schooling, housing, and transportation
  • Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

    Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
    The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed by President Obama on December 10, 2015 This bipartisan measure reauthorizes the 50-year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the nation’s national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students.