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Brown vs. Board of Education
This court case ruled in favor of all students, stating that no student with an intellectual or physical disability can be denied access to education, and cannot be excluded from going to school with other children. Although this was the very first court case that helped spread inclusivity within disabled students, a lot of proceeding court cases still deal with the same issue, because many school districts still denied those the right to education. -
Rowley versus Hendrick Hudson School District
This court case discussed the idea of FAPE, meaning free appropriate public education. The court decided that all students, including those with disabilities of any kind have to have appropriate public education provided to them. The idea of appropriate education can be altered depending on a student's disability and what they need in order to succeed. Due to a lack of clarification of appropriate education, there were many court cases afterwards focusing on the same situation. -
Irving Independent School District versus Tatro
This court case was centered around students with a physical disability requiring the assistance of a nurse or health aid to assist them throughout the day. This case was extremely important for students with physical disabilities as it ensures that they have the assistance they need throughout the day to remain in school and focus on their own academics which are legally provided. Because of this case, many future issues regarding this matter were resolved. -
Smith versus Robinson
This court case focused on the court fees many families faced after taking their school to court for an issue. The court concluded that parents should be reimbursed for any costs of the case as long as the parents win the case for special education litigation. This court result ensures that all families going to court for a special education matter are able to afford the costs of the case as well as be reimbursed for any expenses the family had to go through for the case. -
Hoing versus Doe
This court case decided that any student who acts out as a result of a behavioral disability cannot be denied their education or kicked out of the school for their behavior. This case added on to the original decision of Brown vs BOE, which states that no student can be denied their right to education. This case also proves that although there were original rulings put in place to prevent exclusion in the classroom, it was still a common occurrence, even almost thirty years later. -
Doe versus Withers
This court case states that educational teachers and professionals are the ones to be held accountable for a student's accommodations, and that their education needs to meet the requirements specified in the student's IEP. This is the first time that teachers were held responsible for making sure that a student was being taught in the best way for them. This court case also set a precedent for future teachers to follow through with a student's accommodations. -
Carter vs Florence County School District 4
This court ruling focused on parental reimbursement for private schools. If a student with a disability has to go to a private school because the public school district cannot provide the student with appropriate education. This court case was able to make sure that students were able to get the best possible education for their disability for free, going back to FAPE, even if that meant the public district had to reimburse the family for the costs. -
Endrew F. versus Douglas County School District
This is the most recent case for special education development, and goes back to one of the earliest issues discussed in court for education opportunities. This court ruled that the student given an IEP have to benefit from the accommodations given, but these benefits have to be greater than minimal. This case was extremally important in making sure that each student gets the best available education present, and not just the minimal amount of assistance given for the student to succeed. -
APA References
Bryant, D. P., Bryant, B. R., & Smith, D. D. (2020). Teaching students with special needs in inclusive classrooms. SAGE. Rites, K. History of Special Education [Document].