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Case School DIstrict of Abington Township, Pennsylvania v. Schempp and Murray v. Curlett
U.S. Supreme Court rules that no state law or school board may require that passages from the Bible be read or that the Lord's Prayer be recited in the public schools -
Samuel A. Kirk uses term "Learning Disability"
Samuel A. Kirk uses the term "learning disability" at a Chicago conference on children with perceptual disorders. The term sticks, and in 1964, the Association for Children with Learning Disabilities is formed. -
Lyndon Johnson signs the Immigration Act of 1965
It abolishes the National Origins Formula and results in unprecedented numbers of Asians and Latin Americans immigrating to the United States, making America's classrooms much more diverse. -
The Bilingual Education Act
The Bilingual Education Act, also know as Title VII, becomes law. After many years of controversy, the law is repealed in 2002 and replaced by the No Child Left Behind Act. -
Plyler v. Doe
U.S. Supreme Court rules in a 5-4 decision that Texas law denying access to public education for undocumented school-age children violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. -
Public Law 101-476
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), renames and amends Public Law 94-142. In addition to changing terminology from handicap to disability, it mandates transition services and adds autism and traumatic brain injury to the eligibility list. -
Proposition 227
California voters pass Proposition 227, requiring that all public school instruction be in English. This time the law withstands legal challenges. -
Anit-Immigration Reform
Alabama becomes the first state "to require public schools to check the immigration status" of students. -
Every Student Succeeds Act
On December 9, the U.S. Senate votes 85-12 to approve the Every Student Succeeds Act, and President Obama signs it into law on December 10. This latest version of theElementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) replaces No Child Left Behind and allows more state control in judging school quality.
