Special Education Laws Timeline

By mcmorga5

  • Brown v Board of Education

    The U.S. Supreme Court declared that it was unconstitutional for public schools to be segregated. Parents of children with disabilities were then able to argue that their children were being segregated due to their disabilities.

  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act

    ESEA addressed inequalities in education opportunities. It provided resources and funding through grants for the education of students disadvantaged by poverty.

  • Apollo 11 went to the moon

  • Tapestry by Carole Kind was released

  • Public Law 94-142

    Education for All Handicapped Children Act required that states provide equal education access to children with disabilities. It contained efforts to identify and educate students with disabilities. It was also meant to assess the effectiveness of the efforts.

  • Jim Valvano led the NC State Basketball team to a National Championship

  • Public Law 99-457

    This reauthorization of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act extended intervention to the time children where born.

  • Panera Bread Opened

  • Public Law 110-476

    This reauthorization renamed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It added traumatic brain injury and autism as disability categories. It also required IEP's to include individual transition plans to aid in student's transition to post-secondary life.

  • Public Law 105-17

    This reauthorization of IDEA added an emphasis for access to general curriculum and improved results for children with disabilities and their families. It expanded the age for the "developmental delay" definition to students age nine. It also required mediation and a process for parents to attempt to resolve disputes with schools and local educational agencies.

  • Madison was born

  • Public Law 108-446

    The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act raised special education class students. It also called for early intervention, greater accountability, and improved educational outcomes for students with disabilities.

  • Endrew F. v Douglas County School District

    This Supreme Court case defined the requirements for a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for students with disabilities. It required that IEP's should allow the student to make appropriate progress and include challenging objectives.