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Brown vs. Board of Education Trial
The Supreme Court decided in the Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka case that it was unconstitutional for educational institutions to segregate children by race. This ruling would have far-reaching implications for the special education area. This helped establish the precedent "separate but equal" education and other services were not equal. http://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/history-brown-v-board-education-re-enactment -
Public Law 88-164: Community Mental Health Act
This law authorized funds for training professionals to work with children with special needs and for research and demonstration for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities and deafness.
https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/about/national-mental-health-association/overview/community-mental-health-act/ -
ESEA
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) 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.
https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/programs/education/elementary-and-secondary-education-act-of-1965/ -
PARC vs. Penn
In the Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (PARC) v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ruling, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania sided in favor of students with intellectual and learning disabilities in state-run institutions. PARC v. Penn called for students with disabilities to be placed in publicly funded school settings that met their individual educational needs, based on a proper and thorough evaluation.
https://disabilityjustice.org/right-to-education/ -
Mills vs. Board of Education
In the Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia case, the U.S. District Court for the D.C. students classified as “exceptional” – including those with mental and learning disabilities and behavioral issues. This ruling made it unlawful for the D.C. Board of Education to deny these individuals access to publicly funded educational opportunities.
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/348/866/2010674/ -
Section 504
A section of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that requires a plan for support outlining the accommodations and interventions needed to help the student who has a condition that substantially limits a major life activity succeed in school.
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.html -
Public Law 94-142: The Education for All Handicapped Children Act
President Ford signed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, (Public Law 94-142). This law required all states that accepted money from the federal government were required to provide equal access to education for children with disabilities, in addition to providing them with one free meal per day. States had the responsibility to ensure compliance under the law within all of their public school systems.
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/idea35/history/index_pg10.html -
Public Law 99-457
Public Law 99-457 was an amendment to the All Handicapped Children Act, which mandated that individual states provide services to families of children born with disabilities from the time they are born. Previously, these services were not available until a child reached the age of three.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2801456 -
Handicapped Children’s Protection Act
President Reagan signed the Handicapped Children’s Protection Act, a law that gave parents of children with disabilities more say in the development of their child’s Individual Education Plan, or IEP.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/99th-congress/senate-bill/415 -
Public Law 101-476
Public Law 101-476 called for significant changes to Public Law 94-142, or the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. 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, or ITP, must be developed to help the student transition to post-secondary life.
https://educationonline.ku.edu/community/idea-timeline -
Americans with Disabilities Act
Passed in 1990, this civil rights legislation prohibits discrimination based on disability. This law led to greater access to public transportation, commercial facilities, and telecommunications for individuals with disabilities.
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/hq9805.html -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
The Education for all Handicapped Children’s Act became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. President Clinton reauthorized IDEA with several key amendments that emphasized providing all students with access to the same curriculum, additionally, states were given the authority to expand the “developmental delay” definition from birth through five years of age to also include students between the ages of six and nine.
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/ -
No Child Left Behind
The No Child Left Behind Act authorizes several federal education programs that are administered by the states. The law is a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Under the 2002 law, states are required to test students in reading and math in grades 3–8 and once in high school.
http://www.k12.wa.us/esea/NCLB.aspx -
IDEA Amended
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.
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/about-idea/ -
Every Student Succeeds Act
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed by President Obama on December 10, 2015. This reauthorizes the 50-year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the nation’s national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students.
https://www.ed.gov/essa?src=ft