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Brown vs. Board of Education
In 1954, Brown vs. Board of Education, the supreme court ruled that it was unlawful to discriminate arbitrarily against any group of people. This became a turning point in special education, as it allowed all children the right to an education. -
ESEA
After the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was enacted, then The Bureau of Education for the Handicapped came into play. This established state funded programs in the U.S. for Special Education and it was the first federal program to support children with special needs education. -
P.A.R.C v Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
This was the country's first right- to- legal education suit and the first major legal case to provide (educational) equality to students with disabilities. After the case was settled, the state agreed to provide children with mental retardation with free public education. -
Mills vs. D.C. Board of Education
This case featured 7 students with various disabilities that represented over 18,000 students that were denied a public education in Washington D.C. Furthermore, available funds now were to be expended equitably so that no child is entirely excluded from receiving an education. -
EAHCA
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act required all public schools that were issued federal funds to provide all children with disabilities with equal access to education and one free meal a day. -
ADA
The Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted to provide equality and support for individuals that were physically and mentally impaired. The ADA prohibits discrimination based on an individual's disability in both public and private sectors. -
IDEA
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act replaced the Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975. It declared entitlement of a free appropriate public education to children with disabilities. It further indicates that each child’s education is to be planned and monitored with either an individualized education program or an individualized family service plan. -
No Child Left Behind Act
The major focus of No Child Left Behind is closing the student achievement gaps by providing fair, equal, and significant opportunities for all children, including students with disabilities, to obtain a high quality education. It mandated that all students are to participate in standardized testing with any accommodations needed to assess their learning. -
IDEA
The most recent revisioncontinues to retain the major principles and components of IDEA. Yet, key changes impact children with special needs and programs which are more in alignment with the No Child Left Behind Act. -
ESSA
The Every Student Succeeds Act replaces and updates NCLB by including provisions that will help ensure success for both students and schools and gives the schools more leeway to states in calling the shots in their education policies instead of the federal government.
