-
Brown v. Board of Education
This court case was a consolidation of five seperate cases concerning the issue of segregation in public schools. "While the facts of each case are different, the main issue in each was the constitutionality of state-sponsored segregation in public schools." The ruling that segregation by race in public schools is unconstitional paved the way for future legeslation for those with a disability. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act began the process of the federal government providing for and protecting disadvantaged students so they would have access to public education. Its main goal was to combat poverty and lessen the achievement gaps in students. This act also had a grant program which provided a reason for states to improve on or create programs for their students with disabilities. -
Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act
This act protects individuals that qualify from being discriminated agaisnt based on their disability in any program that recieves federal assistance. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
Also known as Public Law 94-142, this act required that schools provide all children access to free and appropriate public education. This was ensured by the Federal government as they required states that received federal funds to comply with six things. These included: Zero Reject and a Free and Appropriate Public Education, nondiscriminatory identification and evaluation, individualized education program, the least restrictive environment, due process, and parental participation. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
This act replaced the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. One of the changes in this new law is how we refer to those with a disability. It went from handicap children to children with disabilities, thus using "people first language". Under this law it is also requires that states provide bilingual education programs, educate students with disabilities for transition to employment and develop individualized transition programs for students with disabilities by the age of 16. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
This act protects the rights of those with a disability and makes it illegal to discriminate against them in the private sector. Individuals with disabilities also have equal opportunity under this act to "employment and public services, accommodations, transportation, and telecommunications". (Vaughn, Bos & Schumm) -
No Child Left Behind
No child left behind was enacted to address concerns raised about the quality of our education system. Under this act students enrolled in a failing school have the ability to transfer schools. Reading intervention is implemented earlier. The act is designed to improve performance in all schools by increasing the accountability at school, district and state levels for all students including those who have special needs and are from minority populations. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
This act reauthorized the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It raised the standards for special education licensure. Another change is that a district may use a response-to-intervention model to determine if a student has a learning disability. Short-term objectives in a student’s IEP may be eliminated for those students who take statewide achievement assessments.
