History of Special Education Law

By mlp332

  • Compulsory Attendance

    Massachusetts was the first state to pass a compulsory education law. Compulsory school attendance explains the minimum and maximum age required by each state for a students to attend a public school by law.

  • Compulsory Attendance

    Vermont passes the compulsory attendance law.

  • Watson vs. the City of Cambridge

    The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that a child who was "weak in mind" and could not benefit from instruction was a bother to other students. It was ruled that this child could be expelled from school as they were unable to take decent care of themself.

  • Compulsory Attendance

    All states pass the compulsory attendance education law.

  • Beattie vs. the Board of Education

    The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that school officials could exclude a student with disabilities even though the student had attended school since fifth grade.

  • The Cuyahoga County Court of Appeals

    This court in Ohio ruled that the same statute mandating compulsory attendance for ages 6 - 18 gave the U.S Department of Education the authority to exclude certain students. This court stated that students have a right to attend school, but decided not to resolve the conflict between compulsory attendance and exclusionary provisions.

  • Brown vs. the Board of Education

    Prohibited segregation in public schools on the basis of race.

  • Department of Public Welfare vs. Haas

    The Supreme Court of Illinois stated that the state's existing compulsory attendance legislation did not require the state to provide a free public education for the "feeble minded" or to children who are "mentally deficient".

  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act

    Provided federal funding to assist states in educating students as a part of the war on poverty.

  • Amendments to the ESEA Title VI

    Provided federal funding to assist states to expand programs for children with disabilities.

  • North Carolina

    The state of North Carolina made it a crime for parents to persist in forcing the attendance of a child with disabilities after the child's exclusion from public school.

  • Education of the Handicapped Act

    This act expanded state grant programs with children with disabilities. It provided grants to institutions of higher education to train special education teachers. It also created regional resource centers.

  • Parc. vs. the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    This required the state of Pennsylvania to provide students with mental retardation with a free, appropriate, public, education.

  • Mills vs. the Board of Education of the District of Columbia

    This held that because segregation in public schools by race was illegal, it would be unjust for the D.C Education Board to deprive students with disabilities from receiving an education.

  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

    This prohibited discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in programs that receive federal funding.

  • Education Amendments

    Incorporated the rights of PARC and Mills into law.

  • Education for all Handicapped Children Act

    This act provided federal funding to states that agree to educate eligible students with disabilities. It established rights of eligible children with disabilities FAPE in their LRE. It required schools to develop an IEP and procedural safeguards.

  • The Handicapped Children Protection Act

    This act allowed parents to recover attorney's fees if they are established in a due process hearing or case.

  • Education of Handicapped Amendments

    This created federal financial incentives to educate infants (birth to 2) using early intervention strategies. These amendments required IFSP's for eligible children and their families. These amendments also extended EACHA's Part B programs to 3-5 year olds in participating states.

  • IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)

    This act renamed EACHA to IDEA. Traumatic Brain Injury and Autism were added as a new disability under this act. A transition requirement was added to the IEP for students ages 16 or older. This act added language that states were not exempt from lawsuits under the 11th Amendment for violations under IDEA. People first language was also added.

  • IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) Amendments

    This act added new IEP contents and changed the IEP team. New disciplinary decisions were added with this act. This act required states to offer mediation to parents prior to due process hearings as well as restructured the outline of IDEA.

  • NCLB (The No Child Left Behind Act)

    This law required states to establish rigorous systems that hold school districts and schools for measuring student improvement. It also required states and school districts to use numerical data to monitor and provide evidence of student outcomes. This act mandated all public schools to bring every student up to state standards in reading and math within a certain period in order to close the achievement gap. Students with disabilities were included in this act.

  • IDEA Improvement Act

    This act defined a highly qualified special education teacher. It removed the short-term objectives requirement from IEP's not including students with severe disabilities. This act prohibited states from requiring school districts to use an error formula for determining eligibility of students with learning disabilities. The IDEA improvement act encouraged the use of RTI to determine if students were learning disabled.