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Brown Vs Board of Education
Although Brown vs. Board of Education aimed to end legal segregation in public schools based on race, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling paved the road to equal public education opportunities for all U.S. citizens. The Brown vs. Board case lead to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, 1965 Voting Rights Act, and paved the way for further cases such as Mills v. Board. All of which would ultimately lead to "the inclusion of children with disabilities in the public schools". -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
The 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act "became the statutory basis upon which early special education legislation was drafted" ("The legislative history,"). The ESEA did not make it law to educate students with disabilities. However, it did give grants to state schools and institutions that "devoted to the education of children with disabilities" and it would also lead to various amendments important to special education ("The legislative history,"). -
In the Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (PARC) v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania sided in favor of students with intellectual and learning disabilities in state-run institutions. PARC v. Penn called for students with disabilities to be placed in publicly funded school settings that met their individual educational needs, based on a proper and thorough evaluation. -
Normalization Concept
Wolf Wolfensberger introduces the concept of normalization, initally ocined by Bengt Nirje of Sweden, to the USA. -
Rehabilitation Act Ammendments Section 504
The 1973 amendments to the Rehabilitation Act is often thought of as the most significant legislation that was passed in regards to citizens with disabilities. These new amendments extended equal civil rights to include people with disabilities, which included the right to an education as stated in Section 504. However, most educators didn't realize that these amendments applied to public schools. -
Least Restrictive Environment
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) means that with a student’s IEP, they must also be in as many regular education classes as possible. This ensures that the student has social experiences. In LRE classrooms paras and aids are usually required. -
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975
Congress intended that all children with disabilities would “have a right to education, and to establish a process by which State and local educational agencies may be held accountable for providing educational services for all handicapped children.” -
EAHCA's Amendment
EAHCA's amendments include an early intervention program to include infants and toddlers (birth to three program), authorized grants, clarified parental rights, and allowed interagency agreements to allow for transitioning students. The amendments aren't fully implemented until September of 1994, but the amount of children in this part of the EAHCA has grown significantly since. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
This act extends the rights of people with disabilities into society by ensuring equal rights regarding accessibility, accommodations, employment, and transportation, which requires schools to ensure accessibility and accommodations "to those with mobility, health, or visual impairments (Woods, 2006). -
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which was an ESEA reauthorization, focused mainly on key areas including science, mathematics, and language arts. This includes the requirement to have all students to be proficient in reading and math by 2014. States are required to submit annual yearly progress documentation and there are repercussions to those schools that are not showing annual yearly progress on a regular basis. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 has two primary purposes. The first purpose is to provide an education that meets a child’s unique needs and prepares the child for further education, employment, and independent living. The second purpose is to protect the rights of both children with disabilities and their parents. -
Americans with Disabilites Act Ammendments
Americans with Disabilites Act Ammendments are enacted; expanded statuatory interpretation of a disability while affording individuals with disabilities greater protections -
Every Student Succeeds Act
Under the Obama administration, this act was passed in order to govern the United States education policy.
This law replaced the previous law "No Child Left Behind" and modified some of the elements regarding standardized tests.
