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Brown Vs. Board of Education
Brown v. Board was a crucial part of educational history, as the U.S. Supreme Court ended legal segregation in public schools. This was the first time in history that the Supreme Court had supported students who had experienced any prejudice and/or inequality at school. This legislative event then set the path for future legislation for individuals with disabilities. (Vaughn, 4) -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
As the years passed, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was introduced and initiated the role of the federal government. The federal government was to protect and provide for students who were from disadvantaged backgrounds so they would have equal access to public schools. There was a critical component of the ESEA which was for individuals with disabilities. This component was a grant program that encouraged states to create and improve programs for students with disabilities. (Vaughn) -
Vocational Rehabilitation Act (VRA)
The Vocational Rehabilitation Act gave definition to two terms: handicapped person and appropriate education. These were terms that were and are still important today as they define who someone is and what kind of education of "ok" for all students. This act provided protection for individuals with disabilities as it prohibited discrimination against students with disabilities in federally funded programs. (Vaughn, 6) -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was Public Law 94-142. With the passage of this law schools were required to give all children, ages 5-18, a free and appropriate public education, regardless of their disabilties. With this stated, the students' disabilities and/or needs would now have to be identified and they woudl be provided with a special education known as individualized education programs (IEPs). (Vaughn, 5-6) -
Education of the Handicapped Act
The Education of the Handicapped Act was created to ensure that the states extend free and appropriate education to all children with disabilities, ages 3-5. This act also established early intervention programs for infants and toddlers with disabilties, these ages ranged from birth to 2 years. (Vaughn, 6) -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
IDEA was an act that renamed and replaced the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. This act added two new categories of disability: autism and traumatic brain injury. IDEA created requirements for the states stating that they were to provide bilingual education programs for students with disabilities and that they are to educate students with disabilities for transition to employment, and to provide transition services. (Vaughn, 6) -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The Individuals with Disabilties Education Act (IDEA) of 1997 is an improvement of the 1990 act. This act requires that a general education teacher be an IEP team member. A proactive behavior management plan is required to be included in the student's IEP if the student faces behavior ploblems. With this act the students with disabilities are required to take part in districtwide and statewide assessments. -
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
The No Child Left Behind Act improved performance of elementary and secondary schools. This improvement was done by increasing school, district, and state accountability for all students. This included students who were from minority populations and students with special needs. NCLB also implemented early reading interventions for students. (Vaughn, 7; 28-29) -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) is an advanced and improvement of the 19901997 acts. This act allows districts to use a response to intervention (RTI) model for determining whether a student has a specific learning disabiliy. The standards for special education licensure were raised with this act. This act also adopted policies to prevent the unequal representation of students in special education by race and ethnicity. (Vaughn, 7)
