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Brown vs. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was a landmark 1954 Supreme Court case in which the justices ruled unanimously that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional. Brown v. Board of Education was one of the cornerstones of the civil rights movement and helped establish the precedent that “separate-but-equal” education and other services were not, in fact, equal at all.
See more on the significance of this case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTGHLdr-iak -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, required equal access to public places and employment and enforced desegregation of schools and the right to vote. One of the greatest achievements of the civil rights movement, it did not end discrimination but did open the door to further progress.
How the Civil Rights Act changed America: https://www.dailynews.com/2014/07/01/how-the-civil-rights-act-of-1964-changed-america/ -
Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972
Title IX is a landmark civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that is federally funded. The goal of Title IX is to establish gender equality in schools. Though best known for its requirement to provide girls with equal athletic opportunities, the law is much broader and applies to all educational programs and all aspects of a school's education system.
9 Things to Know about Title IX: https://www.berea.edu/title-ix/important-facts-title-ix/ -
Lau vs. Nichols
The goal of this landmark 1974 US Supreme Court case was to make the school transition easier for young people who speak English as their second language. The decision relied on the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision and the Civil Rights Act to force all school districts receiving federal funds to establish multilingual programs to ensure equal educational opportunities, regardless of a student's national origin.
Case Facts: https://www.thoughtco.com/lau-v-nichols-case-4171298 -
Children of the Rainbow
In 1992 the Board of Education of New York City developed a new, highly controversial multicultural curriculum called "Children of the Rainbow" that celebrated the various races, groups, and family situations in New York, including children being raised by gay & lesbian couples. This was the first concerted effort to officially bring sexual-minority issues into the multicultural curriculum.
Watch reactions to this curriculum change: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/children-of-the-rainbow#/ -
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
The controversial No Child Left Behind Act was the main law for K–12 general education from 2002–2015. NCLB required each state to establish state academic standards and high-stakes testing systems that met federal requirements, held schools accountable for student achievement levels, and enforced penalties on schools that did not make adequate yearly progress toward meeting the goals of NCLB.
Pros & Cons of NCLB: https://connectusfund.org/14-crucial-pros-and-cons-of-the-no-child-left-behind-act -
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The purpose of IDEA is to provide free appropriate public education to children with disabilities. It requires schools to evaluate students suspected of having disabilities, at no cost to families. Schools must provide special education and related services to students with qualifying disabilities to meet their unique needs. The goal is to prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=158&v=3XMndYNEGFA&feature=emb_logo -
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
The Every Student Succeeds Act updated and replaced NCLB. The purpose of ESSA is to ensure a fair, equitable and high-quality education for all students and close achievement gaps. Although ESSA retains annual standardized testing requirements, it gives states more say in how schools account for student achievement, including disadvantaged students, and more responsibility for school improvement plans.
ESSA vs, NCLB: http://s3.amazonaws.com/rdcms-pta/files/production/public/NCLB%20vs%20ESSA.pdf
