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Plessy v. Ferguson
In this early case of Plessy v. Ferguson the Supreme Court declared it was legal to segregate individuals and have separate facilities so long as they are equal. There is no integration of students with disabilities. -
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Special Education Law Timeline
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Brown v. Board of Education Topeka
The Supreme Court rules that the segregation of African-Americans in public schools is unconstitutional and unequal. This overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson case and provided a Civil Rights movement to provide equal access to minorities. This was helpful to students with disabilities as this case inspired educational reform all over the country. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
This landmark legislation enacted by Congress provided resources to help ensure that disadvantaged students had access to quality education.President Lydon B. Johnson signed the law with his elementary teacher next to him. This legislation emphasized equal access to education and promoted high standards and accountability to schools. This legislation will later become the No Child Let Behind Act. -
Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (PARC)
This case involved students with mental retardation being denied their contsitutional right to equal protection under the law.This was important to special education students because the court ruled that students with mental retardation had to be granted an education similar or equal to their non-disabled peers. -
Mills v. Board of Education of District of Columbia
This case claimed that students with disablities were being excluded from school. This case made the needs of the child come before fiscal restraints from the school.This case was important to special education students because it established due process procedures to ensure all students disabled or non-disabled equal protection under the law. -
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act 1973
This law is important because it was the first civil rights statute for people with disabilities. This law also helped in the formation of the American Disability Act. It was important to special education students because it was the first nationwide law that stated that students with disabilities should be provided with a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. Today's IEP's reflect this ruling. -
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
This a a Federal law that is designed to protect the privacy of students' school records. The law outlines parental rights concerning their child's information.These rights transfer to the child when they turn 18 or move onto secondary education. This law gives parents (and eligible children) access to all personally idetifiable information that was collected and maintained regarding their child. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) Public Law 94-142
This act ensured a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment for all children with disabilities. This law outlined that schools needed to put into place a procedure so parents of children with disabilities could dispute decisions regarding their child's education. (Procedural Safeguards) -
Board of Education of Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley
The Supreme Court established a "basic floor of responsibility." This states that a school is not required to provide the maximum amount of services to meet the goals of children's IEP's. It ruled schools were only responsible for meeting the basic needs of a child.This was important to special education students in that schools weren't required to provide services above and beyond only the basic necessities. This would later be challenged. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was amended and called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. -
The Americans with Disabilities Act
The ADA is a law to protect people with disabilities from being discriminated against. It is designed so that people with disabilities have equal opportunities in five areas. These areas are employment, public services, public accommodations, telecommunications, and miscellaneous provisions. It was important to special education students because it protected them not only in school but in the workplace as well. -
IDEA Amendments of 1997
President Bill Clinton signs amendments to the IDEA. More students with disabilities are being intergrated into the general education classrooms. A big success for special education. -
No Child Left Behind
This was originally known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This act promotes high achieving standards for all students, including those with disabiliities,. The act states that each child will reach proficiency in math and reading by 2014. -
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act is reauthorized. This reauthorization requires that special education teachers be highly
qualified. It also states that all paraprofessionals that work in Title I schools be qualified . -
IDEA 2004(revisions in 2006)
Signed by President George W. Bush,the reauthorization of the IDEA allowed changes to be made regarding special education. Research-based methods must be used for instruction and determining eligibility. As a result many districts introduced Response To Intervention tiers of instruction. -
President Obama allows waivers for NCLB
President Obama allows states to request waivers for flexibility in meeting some of the requirements in the NCLB act. This is due to the fact that the NCLB act has yet to be reauthorized. Through the waiver schools can show student improvement (AYP) through multiple means a benefit for students with disabilities. -
Jaffrey-Rindge School District Makes Wise Changes
The Jaffrey-Rindge School District working with an advocate group from Jaffrey-Rindge called ABLE NH, changed the restraint and seclusion policy in the district. The state of New Hampshire does not regulate the use of seclusion. However, the Jaffrey-Rindge School District has adopted a policy that reflects the 15 principles recommended by the Department of Education in May 2012.The change provided training to teachers to have the right tools to use when dealing with this student population.
