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Brown v. Board of Education
The Supreme Court decided that "separate was not equal" in public education. This ruling benefited students with disabilities by challenging segregation and allowing them to be included in their neighborhood schools. It laid foundational legal and philosophical groundwork for future inclusion efforts in special education. -
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act
This federal law ensured that all children and youths with disabilities have a right to free, appropriate, public education (FAPE). This law created nondiscriminatory evaluations, the individualized education program (IEP), and the least restrictive environment (LRE). -
Hudson v. Rowley
The court ruled that "appropriate" does not mean "maximum achievement" for a student with a disability. This set a precedent for the minimum level of benefits that schools were required to provide students with disabilities. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
This law reaffirmed the right of all children and youths with disabilities to FAPE. It reinforced the use of IEPs, LRE, and parent/guardian consultations. It also began to require transition plans for adolescents with disabilities by age 16. -
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
A civil rights law ensuring nondiscriminatory treatment in other aspects of life beyond education, such as employment and transportation. This provided broader civil rights protections for individuals with disabilities and reduced societal barriers. -
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
This federal act focused on "standards-based" reform to improve the academic performance of all students, including those with disabilities. This forced most students to take standard tests of academic progress, leading to assessment issues and a heavy emphasis on access to the general education curriculum. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA)
This act reauthorized IDEA, maintaining its basic requirements while introducing the option for states to use Response to Intervention (RTI) as part of the evaluation process for specific learning disabilities. This was created as a means to improve instruction for struggling learners and shift away from the "wait-to-fail" IQ achievement discrepancy model. -
Common Core Standards Initiative
This initiative introduced a common set of standards for English, Language Arts, and Math for K-12. This led to assessment issues and the need for testing accommodations for students with disabilities. -
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
This act replaced NCLB and continued the requirement for students with disabilities to participate in assessments. This helped maintained the focus on accountability for student outcomes in the era of standards-based reform. -
Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District
The court rules that an educational program for a child with a disability must provide "more than de minimis" progress. An educational program must reasonably calculate to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child's circumstances. Public schools now must offer IEPs to all children with disabilities.