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First Special Education School Opened
In 1817, the first special education school in the United States was established and opened in Hartford, Connecticut. This first school was the American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb (now called the American School for the Deaf). And by the middle of the nineteenth century, special educational programs were being provided in many asylums. -
Council for Exceptional Children
The CEC was established in 1922 by a group of administrators, as the International Council for the Education of Exceptional Children, and in 1958 changed its name to the Council for Exceptional Children. The CEC maintains three core values which include visionary, integrity, inclusiveness. The CEC is well-known for being an advocate for policies in special education and for successfully influencing policy and legislation in the special education, gifted education, and general education fields. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The Brown v. Board of Education was a case that paved the way for future legislation protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities to attend and benefit from public education. Through this case, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation in schools, by race was not constitutional. By doing so, the federal government advocated for students who experienced inequality in school and this paved the way for more cases that have influenced the education of students with disabilities. -
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
The ESEA was passed in 1965, to protect and provide for students with disadvantaged backgrounds so they would have equal access to the public education system. A critical component of the ESEA was their grant program which offered grants to districts serving low-income students, federal grants for library books and textbooks, and funding special education programs. Essentially, the law offered federal grants to states to help improve the quality of their elementary and secondary education. -
Vocational Rehabilitation Act (VRA) (Public Law 93-112, Section 504)
Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act was the first disability civil rights law to be enacted in the United States. This law prohibits any program, that receives federal financial assistance, to discriminate against any individual because of a disability. It works with the ADA and IDEA to protect children and adults with disabilities from being excluded, and receiving unequal treatment in schools, jobs and the community. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) (Public Law 94-142)
Public Law 94-142, also known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) of 1975, was the landmark federal legislation pertaining to the education of children with disabilities. This law guaranteed "free, appropriate public education," to children and young adults between the ages of 3-21. It required individualized education programs (IEPs), and first defined the least restrictive environment. -
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. Its main purpose is to ensure that individuals with disabilities do receive the same opportunities as everyone else. Therefore, it guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in all aspects of public life. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
IDEA ensures that all students with disabilities a receive free and appropriate education(FAPE) for their disability and all services necessary to enhance the learning experience. Its goal was to move children with disabilities into the regular classroom through a Less Restrictive Environment(LER). IDEA guides how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to eligible individuals with disabilities.
You can read more: https://sites.ed.gov/idea/ -
No Child Left Behind Act
The major focus of the NCLB is to close student achievement gaps by providing all children a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to a high-quality education.The NCLB act is most recent update to the ESEA of 1965. Under the NCLB, law, states must test students in reading and math in grades 3-8 and once in high school. The law also requires states to ensure their teachers are “highly qualified,” meaning they have a bachelor’s degree in the subject they are teaching and state certification. -
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
The ESSA, was signed by President Obama in December
2015, replacing the NCLB Act, and ensuring equal opportunity for all students. What makes the ESSA different, is that the NCLB gave a lot of power to the federal government, while the ESSA rolled that back, giving states and school districts the chance to "call the shots." The link below you can watch a short video that explains ESSA in detail:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=41&v=zWQGmU-J80Q&feature=emb_logo
