Special Education Law Timeline

By JimenaR01

  • May 17, 1954

    Brown vs. Board of Education
    Supreme Court decided to give equal access to education

  • April 11, 1965

    Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
    Federal funding to help the less fortunate students

  • December 1972

    Mills v. Board of Education (D.C.)
    Prohibited removal of students with disabilities that lack the right funds

  • October 1972

    PARC v. Pennsylvania
    Guaranteed Free education for students with thinking disabilities

  • September 26, 1973

    Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
    First federal civil rights protection for individuals with disabilities

  • November 29, 1975

    Education for All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142)
    Established FAPE, IEPs, LRE, and due process

  • October 8, 1986

    Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments
    Make services for preschool and even early learning kids

  • October 30, 1990

    Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
    Added autism and TBI

  • June 4, 1997

    IDEA Amendments
    Increased being apart of the class and parent participation

  • January 8, 2002

    No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
    Held accountable and standardized testing for all students

  • December 3, 2004

    Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA)
    Introduced RTI; aligned with NCLB

  • December 10, 2015

    Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
    Replaced NCLB; change the states flexibility

  • February 2, 2026

    Present-Day Special Education Law
    IDEA and Section 504 in effect and still continue to evolve