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In Brown v. Board of Education the Supreme Court ruled that separate education is not equal. The case refers to the segregation of African American students from white students. Although the case is not specifically for students with special needs, it provided a ground to petition for equal education.
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ESEA is the oldest education law, and includes that students with special needs have equal access and opportunity of learning in public schools.
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P.A.R.C. v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania builds off of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, in that students with disabilities were not being treated equal. The case focused on students who were being denied into the public schools because they had not reached the right mental maturity. Denying the students into the public schools and forcing them to no education or institutes was like segregating them. P.A.R.C. won the case, benefiting uncountable students.
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While P.A.R.C. v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania focused on intellectually challenged students, Mills expanded it to students who also have mental, behavioral, physical, and emotional disabilities. After both cases, students with disabilities were not denied access into public schools.
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The Rehabilitation Act includes Section 504, which provides assistance to students with a physical or mental impairment that limits one or more major life activities. The student has to of had a record of the impairment that will most likely be there for life (ex. sickle cell disease). Section 504 is not funded by federal money, and is enforced by the U.S Department of Education.
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EAHCA required all schools accepting federal money to provide equal access of education to students with disabilities, which included things like parent involvement, being placed in the least restrictive environment, and an education plan for the student. EAHCA later is changed to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
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Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 focused on discrimination in things like school, jobs, and other public functions (ex. transportation) against individuals with disabilities.
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IDEA provides appropriate education to students with special needs, along with accommodations they may need. IDEA will have modifications to it in 1997 and 2004.
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No Child Left Behind adds onto the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. No Child Left Behind wanted to elevate every child's, including students with special needs, academic ability. NCLB also supported students with disabilities and worked with IDEA to help improve their performance.
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IDEIA has four main goals for the students involved in it: equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency. IDEIA also focuses on zero reject, nondiscriminatory evaluation, appropriate education, least restrictive placement, procedural due process, and parent and student participation.
