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Brown vs. Board of Education
The Supreme Court decision allowed for the desegregation of schools throughout the United States. Brown v Board of Education served as a foundation case that emphasized equality in public education, impacting special education today. The law declared that segregated schools for whites and African American students were inherently unequal. Thus, paving a way to inclusive classrooms welcoming exceptional learners into mainstream learning environments leading to the deinstitutionalization movement. -
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act was signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson as part of the “War on Poverty.” ESEA not only called for equal access to education for all students, but also federal funding for both primary and secondary education for students disadvantaged by poverty. This act helped special education we have today because it initiated the federal government to increase the amount of resources dedicated towards education, to students coming from a low-income families. -
Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (PARC) v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
In the (PARC) v.Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ruling, the U.S. District of Pennsylvania sided in favor of students with intellectual and learning disabilities in state institutions. PARC v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania called for students with disabilities to be placed in publicly funded school settings. This event impacted special education today, because it allowed children with intellectual disabilities to have a right to public education without discriminating against mental capability. -
Mills v. Board of Education of District of Columbia
In the Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia case, the ruling made it unlawful for the D.C. Board of Education to deny handicapped individuals access to publicly funded educational opportunities. The court held that no child could be denied a public education because of mental, physical or emotional handicaps or deficiencies.This case greatly influenced special education today, because it provided a basis for what is known as a 504 plan, allowing students to receive education. -
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
FERPA is a federal law that offers parents the right to have access to their children’s education records, the right to seek to have the records amended, and the right to have some control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the education records. Essentially, FERPA protects the confidentiality of student’s educational records. FERPA ensures exceptional students have additional privacy protections for students who are receiving special education and related services. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
President Ford signed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. The law required all states that accepted money from the federal government to provide equal access to education for children with physical and mental disabilities. This law shaped special education because, public schools are required to evaluate children with disabilities and create an educational plan with parent input that would emulate as closely as possible the educational experience of non-disabled students. -
Handicapped Children’s Protection Act
President Reagan signed the Handicapped Children’s Protection Act, law that gave parents of children with disabilities more say in the development of their child’s IEP. Public educators need to keep parents of disabled children informed of decisions regarding their child’s education.The act allows parents, school administrators and educators to work together ensuring each individual child with a disability receives proper assistance, support, and accommodations to succeed academically. -
Public Law 101-476
Public Law 101-476 called for significant changes to Public Law 94-142.Traumatic brain injury and autism were added as new disability categories. Additionally, Congress mandated that as a part of a student’s IEP, an individual transition plan, must be developed to help the student transition to post-secondary life. This law impacted special education today by incorporating further disabilities to receive services in addition to adding two services social work and rehabilitation counseling. -
No Child Left Behind
NCLB put in place important new measures to expose achievement gaps, and started an important national dialogue on how to close them. By promoting accountability for the achievement of all students, the law has played an important role in protecting the civil rights of at-risk students.The act helped exceptional students by ensuring schools were held liable, for the best education possible to students. Allowing for adaptations and accommodations for students with disabilities as defined by IDEA. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
Congress amended IDEA by calling for early intervention for students, greater accountability and improved educational outcomes, and raised the standards for instructors who teach special education classes.This act impacted special education today,for it allowed students with disabilities to be integrated with non-disabled peers in the same classroom.As well evaluating disability procedures in a nondiscriminatory way and developing an IEP to meet the unique needs of every exceptional student.
