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Special education programs
for students with specific learning disabilities became more common. However, quality programs were still largely unavailable to most children with disabilities because the majority were private or residential programs. Different states, and even different areas within the same state, had varying offerings for special education programs in terms of quality and quantity. -
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
was signed into law on April 9, 1965 to address educational access for underprivileged children. ESEA was amended in 1966 to call for a grant program to help states fund programs and projects designed for “the education of handicapped children.” -
Congress investigated the status of children with disabilities,
finding that only about half were receiving an appropriate education. The Bureau of Education for the Handicapped reported that 2.5 million were receiving an inappropriate education, while 1.75 million weren’t receiving an education at all. These statistics led Congress to make a statement highlighting that proper educational services could help people with disabilities become productive citizens and/or reduce their dependence on society. -
Congress enacted The Education for all Handicapped Children Act
(Public Law 94-142). This law ensured educational access for children with disabilities. With Public Law 94-142 came a set of procedural safeguards to protect the rights of these children and their parents. -
The Handicapped Children’s Protection Act
was signed into law. This gave parents of children with disabilities more influence in the development of their IEP. I find this to be important because parents and guardians should definitely be allowed to have influence on IEPs since they can speak to what would be appropriately challenging for the child. -
Public Law 101-476
updated Public Law 94-142. These updates included traumatic brain injury and autism as disability categories. In addition, an individual transition plan was required to be part of each student’s IEP to help transition them to post-secondary life. This is particularly interesting to me, because I hadn’t heard of an ITP before! -
My family moved to NC.
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The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
was amended and reauthorized. IDEA 2004 was more focused on accountability and required special education teachers to be highly qualified. Through these amendments, reading, early intervention, and research-based instruction were emphasized and IDEA 2004 was a step toward ensuring educational services met each child’s needs to prepare them for “further education, employment, and independent living.” -
Equity in IDEA
regulated how states identified significant disproportionality based on race and ethnicity in their local educational agency. Equity in IDEA also required local educational agencies to identify and address the factors that contribute to significant disproportionality. -
My last normal day of high school.
(Due to COVID, of course) -
I started college at NC State!
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My partner and I got engaged :)
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I begin student teaching!!