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Plessy v. Ferguson
This case involved the “separate but equal” doctrine addressing the 14th Amendment and discrimination against blacks on public transportation. The court ruled that blacks and whites could be segregated and to separate schools as long as the schools were “equal”. -
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Special Education Law
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Brown v. Board of Education
This case encompassed 5 other cases with similar issues. Students were being denied equal protection of the law and access to education by segregation. The Supreme Court overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and ordered that blacks be admitted to white schools. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
Congress provided federal funds to ensure that students in low socioeconomic statuses received the same education as students in higher socioeconomic statuses. This Act becomes No Child Left Behind Act in later years. -
Education of the Handicapped Act (EHA)
This Act was signed in to law to fund higher education institutions to educate their teachers in special education and to fund resource agencies to provide technical assistance to school districts. -
Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia
This case was filed because a group of school aged children were said to have been denied a public education by the Board of Education of the District of Columbia. These students were denied access to public schools, thus being denied access to special education required by law. The judge ruled that students who are old enough to attend school must have access to education and cannot be expelled, suspended, or excluded for more than two days. -
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
This provision prohibits the discrimination of any person with disabilities from agencies who receive federal funding. The agencies must follow provisions to provide services, comply with the provisions, and take immediate steps to correct any violations that are found. The agencies must also make modification and accommodations to provide services to people with disabilities, as if they did not have a disability. -
Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
The educational right of children with disabilities guaranteed under Section 504 of the IDEA which states that all children with disabilities must be provided an education with or without special services, depending on their needs, and their education must be paid for by the school district in which the child lives. -
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA)
This Act provides federal funds to ensure that all students with disabilities are educated. Students with disabilities were in regular education classrooms not learning very much and Congress saw the need to implement a law to better educate students with disabilities. -
Board of Education v. Amy Rowley
A two part test was applied to this case, and other cases later, to determine if the school district was providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE), as required by the IDEA. Has the school district complied with the policies and procedures of the IDEA? Does the child receive educational benefits due to having an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) developed following the policies and procedures of the IDEA? The judge ruled that the school district had followed procedure in this case. -
Honig v. Doe, et al.
This case was brought to the Supreme Court because Doe had significant emotional disabilities and his inappropriate behavior was a manifestation of his disability. He was suspended from school for 5 ½ weeks before he was allowed to re-enter. The Court ruling was that a student cannot be expelled from school for behavior that is a manifestation of his/her disability. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
This act was formerly known as Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) of 1975, the name was changed in 1990 when amendments were made to the original act. The IDEA is basically a procedural safeguard to ensure a free appropriate public education for all children with disabilities. -
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Much like Section 504, the ADA prohibits discrimination of persons with disabilities but is extended to employers and entities that serve the public. ADA protects people with disabilities in their jobs. -
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
This act holds school districts responsible to ensure that their teachers are highly qualified educators and the district is held accountable for the students’ learning. The NCLB set the goal of having all children proficient by 2014. The law has been embraced by most educators, but there has been some pushback from some.
