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The Bill of Rights Ratified
Congress ratified ten amendments to the constitution of our young nation, specifying the rights of individuals, states, and the Federal Government. Under Amendment 10, education is left to each state's responsibility, since it was not a power given to the Federal Government. -
First Compulsory Education Law
Rhode Island becomes first state to enact a compulsory education law, requiring all students to attend public schools. Other states, such as Massachusetts, follow suit. By 1918, all states had passed such legislation. Despite these laws, most children with disabilities were still excluded from public education systems. -
Exclusion of Students with Disablities in Watson v. City of Cambridge
Despite compulsory education laws, The Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that students who have disabilities could be expelled from public schools. another instance of court decisions rulling in favor of exclusion include Beattie v. Board of Education (1919) in Wisconsin. Courts continued to uphold such rulings as late as 1969 in some states. -
First National White House Conference Places Emphasis on Special Education
Special Attention was given to students with disabilities and their education in the First National White House Conference. Among the goals of this conference was defining and establishing remedial programs for students with special needs. The result of this increased interest in Special Education was the creation of "segregated" classes, in which students with cognitive disabilities could still be educated, albeit separate from the regular student body. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The Supreme Court Ruled that Schools could no longer be segregated by race. Due to widespread opposition to the ruling President Dwight Eisenhower deployed National Guardsmen to escort the so called "Little Rock Nine" into a school of primarily white students. Many who supported the ruling believed that students should also not be denied education due to a disability. This led to increased advocacy for such students and their right to education. -
PARC v. Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens, or "PARC" successfully litigates 13 Pennsylvania school districts for failing to acknowledge students with disabilities constitutional right to equal protection under the 14th amendment. PARC alleged that said students were denied equal education by the aforementioned school districts. -
MIlls v. Board of Education
A class action suit representing 18,000 students with disabilities who had been excluded from schools was filed against the District of Columbia Board of Education by the parents and guardians of seven students. The result was that the court ruled that the school district must provide all students access to public education regardless of disability in addition to providing due process safeguards for students with disabilities -
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act was signed by President Richard Nixon, making discrimination against an individual because of disability illegal. This was the first major effort to protect individuals with disabilities from discrimination. This legislation was later amended and improved in 1974. -
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (EAHCA) Ratified
The EAHCA, signed by President Gerald Ford, establishes a standard for Special Education in the United states. The legislation introduces the concept of Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), in which a student with a disability's individual needs were addressed and accounted for on a case by case basis. -
EAHCA becomes IDEA (Individuals with Disablilies Education Act)
The 101st Congress of the United States, redefines, improves, and renames EAHCA to IDEA with the intention of providing students with disabilitiess the same opportunity as those without disabilities. Later, in 1997 it would be revised and renamed again to Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) which is the current system for special education in the United States. -
No Child Left Behind Act Ratified
Congress Passed the No Child Left Behind act, which reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and included Title I provisions for students with special needs. -
Every Student Succeeds Act Ratified
The Every Student Succeeds Act was passed by the 114th Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama. One of it's facets is to require a greater percentage of students with special needs to receive standardized tests. The law will be enacted in 2019.
