Special Education Laws

  • Brown v. Board of Education

    Brown v. Board of Education
    Segregation of students by race ruled unconstitutional; children deprived of equal educational opportunity.
  • Diana v. State Board of Education

    Diana v. State Board of Education
    Group administered IQ tests cannot be used to place children in programs for individuals with intellectual disability; Students cannot be placed in Special Education classes on the basis of IQ tests that are culturally biased.
  • Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    State must guarantee a free public education to all children with intellectual disability ages 6-21 regardless of degree of impairment or associated disabilities.
  • Lau v. Nichols

    Lau v. Nichols
    Required schools to offer special language programs to English learners in order to confer equal educational oppurtuity.
  • Armstrong v. Kline

    Armstrong v. Kline
    State's refusal to pay for schooling in excess of 180 days for pupils with severe disabilities is a violation of their rights to an appropriate eduction.
  • Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley

    Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley
    Ruled that an appropriate education does not necessarily mean an education that will allow for the maximum possible achievement; students must be given a reasonable opportunity to learn.
  • Daniel R.R. v. State Board of Education

    Daniel R.R. v. State Board of Education
    Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals held that a segregated class was an appropriate placement for a student with Down Syndrome. Established a two-prong test for determining compliance with the least restrictive enviornemnt mandate for students with severe disabilites.
  • Oberti v. Board of Education of the Borough of Clementon School District

    Oberti v. Board of Education of the Borough of Clementon School District
    Placement in a general education classroom with supplementary aids and services must be offered to a student with disablilities prior to considering more segregated placements.
  • Schaffer v. Weast

    Schaffer v. Weast
    Determined whether the parent(s), acting on behalf of the child, must prove that their child's individualized education program (IEP) is inappropriate or whether the school district must prove that the IEP is appropriate. Ruled that the burden is placed upon the party seeking relief.
  • Forest Grove School District v. T.A.

    Forest Grove School District v. T.A.
    Supreme Court found that IDEA authorizes reimbursement for private special education services when a public school fails to provide free appropriate education and the private school placement is appropriate, regardless of whetehr the student previosly recieved special education services from the public school.