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Brown vs. Board of Education
Brown vs. Board of Education was a critical historical event as it finally allowed African-Americans and white people to attend school together. Without this monumental case, our society and education would still be segregated which would be non-beneficial to all students. This case is an important part of educational history because it was the foundation of desegregating schools during the civil rights movement. (National Archives and Records Administration) -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed ESEA into law as a civil rights law. This act allowed for more grants to be issued to schools with a higher low-income student population. This law is important because it treated schools equitably and allowed those with fewer resources to have an equal chance at a quality education. (U.S. Department of Education) -
Title IX
Discrimination or segregation of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation in schools is equally as concerning as discrimination or segregation of race. The Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination and segregation from any education program that receives federal funding. This is an important law because no one should be discriminated against because of their sex, especially in an academic setting. (OCR) -
IDEA Improvement Act of 2004
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), was originally put into law in 1990 but improvements were added in 2004, and the law is as we know it today. This law and reauthorization are important to educational history because it provides improved procedures for identifying children with learning disabilities. These improved procedures can help identify learning disabilities sooner and provide the student with the help they need. (National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) -
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
President Barack Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act as a reauthorization of the ESEA and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). This law is major in educational history because for the first time in history students are being held to high academic standards and there are protections for disadvantaged students. Without these standards and protections, graduation rates would decrease and disadvantaged students would fall behind. (U.S. Department of Education)