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Brown v. Board of Education
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Helped promote equality in education. This has impacted special education today as it set a precedent for equality for students with disabilities. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
Act was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson and emphasizes equal access to education by providing federal funding to support disadvantaged children and/or struggling learners including children with disabilities. This has impacted special education today by dispersing funding to provide education for students with disabilities. -
Mills v. Board of Education
The United States District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that students with disabilities must be entitled to free public education or suitable alternative education paid by the Board of Education. This has impacted special education today by allowing students with disabilities to receive free public education suitable to their needs. -
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Prohibits disability discrimination in program services or benefits; also defines the rights of individuals with disabilities and applies to public schools. This has impacted special education today as students with disabilities cannot be discriminated from receiving FAPE and should have equal access to education. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
President Gerald Ford signed the Public Law 94-142, which guaranteed free appropriate public education (FAPE) to every child with disabilities in every state. This has impacted special education today by requiring all schools receiving federal funding to provide equal access to education in the least restrictive environment (LRE) for students with disabilities. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
Civil right law signed by President George H.W. Bush which prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in public and private sectors. It guarantees equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities. This has impacted special education today by requiring schools to make facilities accessible for students with disabilities and by requiring schools to have activities and opportunities available for students with disabilities. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Congress renames the EAHCA and amended the act to add autism and traumatic brain injury as disability categories. Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are required for students 16 years and older to include a transition plan. This has impacted special education today as the transition plan in the IEP helps assist students with disabilities in reaching their postsecondary goals in education, employment, and independent living skills. -
IDEA Amendments of 1997
Signed into law by President William J. Clinton, the IDEA Amendments required all students with disabilities to participate in state or district-wide assessments with appropriate accommodations as necessary. This has impacted special education today as it helps strengthen academic expectations for students with disabilities. -
No Child Left Behind
Enacted by President George W. Bush to ensure all students receive high-quality education and implemented standardized testing along with necessary accommodations in order to assess student learning. This has impacted special education today by providing students with disabilities with accommodations to assess their learning and by setting higher academic standards, both which help to close the achievement gap. -
IDEA Improvement Act of 2004
Amendment signed by President George W. Bush to encourage early intervention for students, greater accountability, and required highly-qualified special education instructors in order to improve educational outcomes. This has impacted special education today by providing young students with disabilities (from 3 years on) with early interventions to meet their individual needs. -
Every Student Succeeds Act
Signed into law by President Barack Obama to hold schools accountable for student learning; aims to provide equal opportunities for students with disabilities. This has impacted special education today by setting the same academic standards for students with disabilities as their peers and by allowing schools to design alternate academic achievement standards (AAAS) for students with severe cognitive disabilities in order to allow them to take alternate assessments (AA-AAAS) if necessary. -
Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District
U.S. Supreme Court case which ruled that schools should provide students with disabilities free appropriate public education guaranteed under the individuals with disabilities education act and school should provide an IEP that is reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate to the child's circumstances. This has impacted special education today by requiring schools to provide students with disabilities with challenging objectives and not just minimum progress.