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Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
The Elementary and Secondary Education act was signed by President Johnson in 1965. It was in response to poverty and was a commitment to equal access to quality education. ESEA allocates funds for instruction materials, professional development and the promotion of parental involvement. The law is reauthorized every five years and there have been amendments made over the years, depending on the needs of the education system at the time. (Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 2022) -
Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA)
The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) was created in response to the need for more opportunities for low-income students and signed into law by President Johnson. The purpose of this law was to provide financial assistance for students in postsecondary education. The HEA increases resources and creates loans and grants for higher education learners. The act has been reauthorized and amended multiple times throughout the years.
(McCants, 2003) -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides free public education to children with disabilities. IDEA provided needed services and early intervention to more than 7.5 million children with disabilities, as of 2019. IDEA insures these children are able to have the appropriate, necessary tools to allow them to continue their education, prepare them for their future employment and independent living, and protects the rights of the children and their parents. (About IDEA, 2022) -
No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was signed into law by President Bush in 2002 and set new standards and requirements for learning and repercussions for schools that did not meet these standards. NCLB was in response to declining performance in American schools. It required and mandated standardized testing. NCLB has been a controversial law and remembered as hard education reform and has been replaced by a new law, the Every Student Succeeds Act. (History.com Editors, 2019) -
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
The Every Student Succeeds Act is the new law that replaced NCLB and reauthorized the 50-year-old ESEA. It was signed by President Obama in 2015. ESSA continues to build on the efforts of previous laws. There have been significant advancements in overall performance in schools. The law advances equity and requires all students be taught to standards that will prepare them for college and maintains expectations that there will be accountability for low scoring schools.(Every Student Succeeds Act)
