Special Education History Timeline

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    Special Education Legislation

  • Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

    Segregation was ruled an infringement on equal opportunity education

  • The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA)

    Helped to provide impoverished children with more opportunity in the form of federal education funding

  • 1966 Amendment to ESEA

    This amendment established the first federal program for children that have disabilities, as well as the National Council on Disability, and the Bureau of Education of the Handicapped.

  • The Rehabilitation Act

    Made discrimination based on disability illegal when applying for any form of federal funding.

  • Education of the Handicapped Act

    Legislation that ensured that any student with a disability has access to "free and appropriate public education".

  • Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley

    A court ruling that states students who qualify for special education programs must be provided with "individualized instruction to meet their specific needs".

  • Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1990 - Renamed as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

    At this time, the legislation is updated to expand and mandate programs and services, and added autism and traumatic brain injury to the list of disability categories.

  • Americans With Disabilities Act

    A Civil Rights Law implemented that prohibits discrimination of people with disabilities in the workplace or in any public setting.

  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments

    Amendments are made to IDEA to ensure that students with special needs are "included in state and districtwide assessments". It also improves parents’ involvement by introducing individualized education program (IEP).

  • No Child Left Behind Act

    Attempts to improve statewide special education programs by requiring statewide assessments and employing highly trained special education teachers. However, it penalizes schools that show no improvement and leads to schools focusing on testing rather than teaching.

  • Every Student Succeeds Act

    This is a law that replaced the No Child Left Behind Act and made it possible for states to have more of a say so in the way that they go about teaching students. It allows for more teaching time and less time preparing for testing.