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Brown v. Board of Education
United States Supreme Court declared that state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. The decision overruled the previous decision of separate but equal schooling in the Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court hearing. http://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/history-brown-v-board-education-re-enactment -
Teachers of the Deaf Act
This act made specially trained teachers available to students who were deaf in hopes to develop their abilities and skills in a productive manner. http://uscode.house.gov/statutes/pl/87/276.pdf -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
This act, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, was a commitment to equal access to quality education. The statue provided funding to primary and secondary schools for equality of all students. https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/programs/education/elementary-and-secondary-education-act-of-1965/ -
Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens v. Commonwealth
A group of parents, acting out of the interest of their children, filed a lawsuit against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for a state law that was passed that allowed public schools to deny services for special education. The U.S. District Court finally decreed that former state laws were unconstitutional and tasked the state with finding a way to provide free and equal education to ALL students. https://www.rootedinrights.org/15321-revision-v1/ -
Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia
The family of Peter Mills and other children filed a lawsuit against the District of Columbia for excluding their students from public school due to behavioral issues. The district argued that it would cost a large amount of money to educate Peter and students like him. The District Court ruled that no child could be denied public education without an equal alternative being provided. https://www.rootedinrights.org/15321-revision-v1/ -
Rehabilitation Act (Section 504)
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibited the exclusion of individuals with disabilities from activities and programs receiving federal funding from the U.S. government. This would set the stage for ADA. https://www.dol.gov/oasam/regs/statutes/sec504.htm -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142)
This act required schools that received public funding to provide children who are handicapped with equal access to education, and it required that those students be placed in the least restrictive learning environment. https://commons.trincoll.edu/edreform/2012/05/the-education-for-all-handicapped-children-act-a-faltering-step-towards-integration/ -
Handicapped Children's Protection Act
This act amends the Education for All Handicapped Children Act to allow for awards for reasonable attorneys' fees, expenses, and costs to the parents/guardian of a handicapped child to use in a civil suit under the act. https://www.congress.gov/bill/99th-congress/house-bill/1523 -
EHA to IDEA
In 1990, the EHA was reauthorized and renamed "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act." The revised act was praised for acknowledging the complexity of special needs and disabilities that students face. https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/fr/fr10/issue1/f100112.html -
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
This civil rights law, passed in 1990, prohibits the discrimination against those who have disabilities. This law extends to jobs, schools, transportation, and public places. https://adata.org/learn-about-ada -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Reauthorized
The reauthorized version for IDEA requires that every state have polices and procedures in place that ensure that all students with disabilities have access to free and appropriate public education. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oii/nonpublic/idea1.html -
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
In 2001, The ESEA was reauthorized and renamed the "No Child Left Behind Act." States are required to assess students in reading and math in grades 3-8 and once in high school. All students were suppose to meet or exceed state standards by 2014. This act received a mix or criticism from the general public. http://www.k12.wa.us/esea/NCLB.aspx -
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
In 2015, NCLB was reauthorized and renamed "Every Student Succeeds Act." This act shows a shift from the federal authority of the previous acts to allow states and school districts to have more flexibility and autonomy. https://www.nassp.org/policy-advocacy-center/resources/essa-toolkit/essa-fact-sheets/every-student-succeeds-act-essa-overview/
