Interactive Law Timeline

By debbiesmith0324
  • Period: to

    A History of Education Law

  • Brown v. Board of Education

    U.S. Supreme Court decision 347 U.S. 483. The decision was based on the requirement that schools must educate all children regardless of their race. It found that separate is not equal. The case stemmed from the integration of students and the movement to end segregation.

  • Civil Rights Act becomes law

    Although this law was not an education law, its impact to future education laws would be huge. The Civil Rights Law prohibits discrimination that is based on race, color, sex, religion, or natural origin. Individuals with disabilities would be included in this group later on.

  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is passed

    This law was created in part from President Johnson's "War on Poverty." It addressed the inequality of opportunities for underprivileged children and provided funds to help low-income students. Title I was born from this law. The law would go through many changes before being reauthorized in 1994.

  • Pennsylvania Assn. for Retarded Children (PARC) v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    Case number 334 F. Supp. 1257 (E.D. PA 1971). This case examined the rights to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for students with mental retardation. The decision granted that the education should be similar or equal to their peers. This case formed the foundation for what was later known as the IDEA.

  • Mills v. Board of Education of Washington, D.C.

    Case number 348 F. Supp. 866 (1972). This law extended the PARC case ruling to individuals with other disabilities. Further, the cost of education must not be a factor in the education of students with disabilities. Procedures for due process also came as a result of the case, ensuring all students equal protection.

  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

    Public Law 93-112. Section 504 is a federal civil rights law that guarantees rights to individuals with disabilities in programs that receive federal funds. The law requires school districts to provide a FAPE to every student with disabilities. The protection extends to students who may not have a disability in schools.

  • Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is passed

    A federal law (20 U.S.C. & 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) that protects the privacy of student records. It also help establish parental rights concerning a child's school information.

  • Equal Educational Opportunities Act is passed

    This law (20 U.S.C. Sec 1701-1758) prohibits discrimination and requires schools to remove any barriers that may prevent students from accessing equal protection. Students who have limited English proficiency were especially targeted.

  • Education of All Handicapped Children Act is passed

    PL 94-142 is a federal law that helped establish procedures for parents to dispute decisions regarding their child's education, otherwise known as Procedural Safeguards. The law was the predecessor to IDEA

  • Board of Education of Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Amy Rowley, by her parents, Rowley, et al.

    This case found that school districts are not required to provide the maximum amount of services to meet the goals of an individuals IEP plan. Schools are only responsible for meeting the basic needs of the child and do not have to go above and beyond this scope. This would later be challenged and reversed.

  • A Nation at Risk report is released

    This was a report that was published spotlighting the notion that America's schools were failing. The report touched off an era of educational reform and focused efforts on improving education for all students.

  • Irving Independent School District v. Tatro

    This case (468 U.S. 883) defined what related services in special education are required in regards to medical necessity. School districts are required to provide all supportive services necessary that can be given by a nurse.

  • Burlington School Committee v. Massachusetts Board of Education

    Case 471 U.S. 359 gave parental rights to receive reimbursement from private school tuition, but only under certain conditions. Reimbursement can occur if a FAPE is not provided for by the public school, but can be by a private school.

  • Honig v. Doe

    This was the first case to involve the discipline of students with disabilities. The case (484 U.S. 305) decided that a student who has an IEP for a disability cannot be suspended or expelled from school for more than 10 days, unless the discipline involves weapons, drugs, or serious bodily injury.

  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 is enacted

    This is a civil rights law (Public Law 101-336) that prohibits discrimination based on disability. In regards to students with disabilities, equal access to and participation in programs and services is guaranteed and must be comparable to nondisabled peers. The law also mandates that public accommodations, which include schools, must remove any physical barriers and make alterations as needed to provide equal access for students with disabilities.

  • Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) renames Education for All Handicapped Children Act

    On this date, Public Law 94-142 was changed to IDEA (Public Law 101-476). Although there was little change to the law, the requirement to add transition services to IEP's of students age 16 and up was added. There was also a change in terminology from handicap to disability in regards to education.

  • Florence County School District Four v. Shannon Carter

    This case (510 U.S. 7) was an extension of the Burlington School Committee decision regarding reimbursement for private school. If a private school can provide FAPE and the public school cannot, then parents who meet the test for reimbursement issued by Burlington, can be reimbursed the cost of tuition even if the school district did not approve.

  • Improving America's Schools Act (IASA) becomes law

    This law (Public Law 103-382) was a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. It provided educational reform and extensions. It also included provision for the Title I program, which provided funds to disadvantaged students, holding school accountable for their results.

  • IDEA Amendments of 1997

    This was Public Law 105-17 and it contained some major updates and additions to IDEA. Among the provisions:
    -participation of children with disabilities in state and district assessment testing
    -parental participation in eligibility and placement decisions
    -IEP review
    -addition of transition planning
    -discipline of children with disabilities

  • No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) law takes efect

    This law (Public Law 107-110) was another reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and contained sweeping education reforms. Among the provision of the act include:
    -increased accountability for student progress
    -states must administer state-wide standardized testing to all students
    -sets requirements for highly qualified teachers
    -gives school choice as an option
    -incresed role of federal government in public education

  • The Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act (IDEA 2004) takes effect

    Changes to IDEA were effected. The major areas of change include:
    -IEP process (content-goals & objectives, meeting attendance, review & revision, transition, & alternate placement
    -Due process - procedural safeguard notice once per year
    -Student discipline - determined on case by case basis

  • Schaffer v. Weast

    This case (546 U.S. 49) decided that the burden of proof in matters regarding the challenge to an IEP decision is on the party who files. The decision was made over whether the parents or the school have the burden of evidence.

  • American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR) becomes American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD)

    This was a significant name change that created a new standard for the terminology that is used for individuals who have intellectual disabilities. It also paved the way for a more socially accepatable way to refer to these individuals.

  • Forest Grove School District v. T.A.

    This case (557 U.S. 230) decided that reimbursement for private school education to the parents is appropriate when the public school fails to provide a FAPE, even though the student never received special education services from the school. The failure to provide the special education services is the violation the reimbursement will rest on.

  • State Waivers for NCLB are announced

    President Obama granted extensions to states to meet the deadline for submisison of reform plans. States who file and are granted the extension have more time to develop plans to have all stuents college and career ready.