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1817: American School For the Deaf
The American School for the Deaf is the oldest permanent school for the deaf in the United States. It was founded on April 15, 1817, in West Hartford, Connecticut, by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, Dr. Mason Cogswell, and Laurent Clerc and became a state-supported school later that year. Over the years, this school has served as the "Mother School" in providing an exemplary model educational program.
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1922: The Council for Exceptional Children
Founded in 1922, the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest internationally recognized professional organization devoted to improving the educational experience of students with gifts and talents or disabilities. At its inception, one of the primary goals was to organize and establish professional standards. The CEC consists of 17 specialized divisions that provide additional focus and depth of information on a particular exceptionality or interest area in special education. -
1954: Brown v. Board of Education
In 1954, the U. S. Supreme Court issued a landmark civil rights decision in Brown v. Board of Education. The Supreme Court found that African-American children had the right to equal educational opportunities. After the decision in Brown, parents of children with disabilities began to bring lawsuits against their school districts for excluding and segregating children with disabilities. Link text -
1958: Department of Public Welfare v Haas
Students with disabilities were still not protected by rulings such as Brown v Board. The Department of Public Welfare v Haas case ruled that the state of Illinois did not have to provide free public education to students with disabilities because they were considered "feeble-minded". The state constitution explained every child had access to free and quality education. -
1965: Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
Congress enacted the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 1965 to address the inequality of educational opportunities for underprivileged children. This act provided resources to help ensure that disadvantaged students had access to quality education. ESEA authorizes state-run programs for eligible schools and districts eager to raise the academic achievement of struggling learners and address the complex challenges that arise for students who live with disabilities. -
1973: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act was the first disability civil rights law to be enacted in the United States. It prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in programs that receive federal financial assistance and set the stage for enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Section 504 works together with the ADA and IDEA to protect children and adults with disabilities from exclusion, and unequal treatment in schools, jobs, and the community. -
1975: Public Law 94-142: The Education for All Handicapped Children Act
The vast majority of children, especially those with severe disabilities, were kept out of the public schools and even those who did attend were largely segregated from their non-disabled peers. In 1975, this changed with the passage of P.L. 94-142. This act required all schools receiving federal funding to provide handicapped children with equal access to education and mandated that they are placed in the least restrictive educational environment possible. -
1990: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
IDEA is a federal law that ensures every student with a disability receives a Free Appropriate Public Education, to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education. The school system will help create a personalized strategy designed to meet the needs of each student's Individualized Education Program so that each student can be placed in the Least Restrictive Environment. Link text -
1997: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA 97)
President Clinton signed the bill into law on June 4, 1997. This act retains the major provisions of earlier federal laws in this area, including the assurance of having a free appropriate public education (FAPE) available to all children with disabilities, in the least restrictive environment (LRE). This Act strengthens academic expectations and accountability for children with disabilities and bridges the gap that has too often existed.Link text -
2002: No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 (NCLB)
The NCLB act passed Congress in 2001 and was signed into law by President George W. Bush on Jan. 8, 2002. It put a special focus on ensuring that states and schools boost the performance of certain groups of students, such as English-language learners, students in special education, and poor and minority children, whose achievement, on average, trails their peers. States did not have to comply with the new requirements, but if they didn’t, they risked losing federal Title I money. -
2004: Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004)
President Bush signed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (Public Law 108- 446: IDEA 2004) on December 3, 2004. This law promotes accountability for results, enhances parent involvement, uses proven practices and materials, provides more flexibility, and reduces paperwork burdens for teachers, states, and local school districts. Many sections of the new law took effect on July 1, 2005. The regulations took effect on October 13, 2006. -
2015: Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
The ESSA act was signed by President Obama on December 10, 2015. The main purpose of ESSA is to make sure public schools provide a quality education for all kids. ESSA gives states more of a say in how schools account for student achievement. This includes the achievement of disadvantaged students. These students fall into four key groups: Students in poverty, Minorities, Students who receive special education, Those with limited English language skills.
