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Council for Exceptional Children
Council for Exceptional Children was established as a national organization advocating for students with special needs, including those with disabilities and G&T students.The CEC is committed to expanding the scholastic achievement of individuals with special needs. It offers professional development for educators involved in the lives of children, and helps professionals and organizations attain helpful resources for people with exceptionalities. (http://cecnh.org/about) -
Brown vs. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was a 1954 Supreme Court case in which the justices ruled unanimously that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional. It was one of the cornerstones of the civil rights movement, and helped establish the precedent that separate but equal education were not equal at all. First time that the law required schools to become racially integrated and established that separate education was not the same as equal education for students of color. -
Division of Handicapped Children and Youth
President John F. Kennedy established the Division of Handicapped Children and Youth in the Office of Education. He sent missions to study international programs for disabled children and pushed for greater rights for the disabled, especially those with mental disabilities. Grassroots movements were instrumental in creating awareness of the inequalities facing the disabled but the movement also benefited greatly by having someone of Kennedy’s stature behind it. -
Mandatory Education for Students with Disabilities
A free public education for students with disabilities becomes mandatory.
Public Law 91-230 was passed which made it a requirement that both students with and without disabilities were given a free, appropriate public education.
Law required funds to be spent on gifted and talented students as well. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Congress passes the Education for All Handicapped Children Act which specified that all children, regardless of disabilities, were entitled to a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. The IDEA governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. (https://youtu.be/3XMndYNEGFA) -
Inclusive Education
In the court case, Roncker v. Walter courts determined that if special education services can be provided feasibly in a non-segregated school setting then they should be. The Rockner court found that placement decisions must be individually made. School districts that automatically place children in a predetermined type of school solely on the basis of their disability rather than on the basis of the IEP violates federal law. This ruling opened the doors for more inclusive education. -
Handicapped Infants and Toddlers Program
Handicapped Infants and Toddlers Program created a new provision that covered children with disabilities from birth to age two and created statewide, comprehensive, coordinated services for infants and toddlers with disabilities. -
Jacob Javits Act
Jacob Javits Act was first passed by Congress in 1988 as part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and was most recently reauthorized through the Every Student Succeeds Act to support the development of talent in U.S. schools. Its the only federal program dedicated specifically to gifted and talented students, does not fund local gifted education programs defined gifted and talented students as students with special needs but did not receive federal funding. -
No Child Left Behind
No Child Left Behind is a general education law establishing that children have the right to highly qualified content teachers as well as equal accountability and standards. This law let to high expectations for special education and inclusion in standardized assessment for most kids with special needs. It provides money for extra educational assistance for poor children in return for improvements in their academic progress. -
IDEIA
Public Law 108-446 (IDEIA) emphasized rights in special education and if a child was not in a general education setting, the IEP was required to provide explanations as to why. Autism and TBI were added as disability categories, and LRE received more attention. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA) has been re-authorized and is now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004
