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Early Special Education Programs
This school is the oldest permanent deaf school in the country and the first school for disabled children anywhere in the western hemisphere. It was originally called The American Asylum, At Hartford, for The Education And Instruction Of The Deaf And Dumb. The school was established on April 15, 1817, in West Hartford, Connecticut, and it became a state-supported school that same year. In those days, "dumb" referred solely to the inability to speak. -
The Perkins Institution
The 1880s saw the promotion of education reform for people with disabilities by Samuel Gridley Howe and Alexander Graham Bell. Both provided help in researching causes of certain conditions as well as possible cures. Howe established the Massachusetts’ Perkins School for the Blind in 1832. The Perkins Institution, as it was then known, was the first school for the blind in the US to use European methods. -
National Assoc. for Retarded Children
The Arc of the United States serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Parents of people with developmental disabilities founded the nonprofit organization in the 1950s. Family members wished for their loved ones to live satisfying lives in the community rather than in dark institutions. To date, this organization has established 140,000 members nationally and 700 local and state chapters. Washington, D.C. is home to the Arc of the United States. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, in which the Supreme Court unanimously ruled (9-0) that racial segregation in public schools violated the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution, which prohibits states from depriving anyone within their borders of equal protection from the law. According to the ruling, separate facilities for students of color and white students are inherently unequal.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Brown-v-Board-of-Education-of-Topeka/Decision -
ESEA
Several appropriations were made in the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which was signed into law on April 9, 1965. Each five years since it was enacted, the government reauthorizes the act. In 1966, Congress passed an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a grant program to support states in implementing, expanding, and improving handicapped education programs and projects. -
PARC & Mills
A class-action lawsuit was filed on January 7, 1971 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the State Board of Education, and several school districts, on behalf of several children with mental disabilities. In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs alleged that the school districts unfairly categorized some students as "uneducable." This resulted in a decree on October 8, 1971. -
Rehabilitation Act (Section 504)
In 1973, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was signed into law, which established the first federal civil rights protections for individuals with disabilities. Disability rights activists consider several sections of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. A person who otherwise qualifies for participation in, or benefits from, any federally funded program or activity shall not be limited from participation because of a disability." People with disabilities are protected under Section 504. -
Public Law 94-142
Congress enacted the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 on November 19, 1975. Whoever receive federal funding must provide disabled students with accommodations for special needs. Screening and identifying potential special needs students is the school's responsibility. The students in special education programs must have access to appropriate materials and qualified teachers. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1990) is the revision of Public Law 94-142. -
Americans w/ Disabilities Act (ADA)
On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law. The American Disability Act (ADA) forbids those with disabilities to be discriminated against on their job, public transportation, and entrance to state and local government programs. Discrimination on the basis of disability is prohibited under Title II of the ADA within public agencies and programs. This includes state and local governments as well as educational institutions. -
No Child Left Behind
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is the name of the new law signed into law by President George W. Bush on Jan. 8, 2002. A student must be tested in reading and math once in sixth grade and twice in eighth grade. Adequate Yearly Progress is when schools are monitored as they work toward their goals. According to the law, teachers must be "highly qualified," having at least a bachelor's degree and certified by their state. -
IDEA
Federal law IDEA supports special education and services for children with disabilities. Further amendments provided equal access to education from 1997 and 2004. The IDEA was amended on December 3, 2004. It requires children with disabilities to receive free appropriate public education (FAPE) in a least restrictive environment (LRE). IEPs must be reasonable for children in order to succeed in school. In 2004, the No Child Left Behind Act requirements were aligned with the IDEA reauthorization. -
Every Student Succeeds Act
Sen. Lamar Alexander introduced the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) on April 30, 2015. Every Student Succeeds Act came into law on December 10, 2015 by Pres. Obama. The NCLB became obsolete with the Every Student Succeeds Act. Schools were harshly punished if the students didn’t meet test proficiency requirements. This means students with IEPs and 504 plans can continue to take these tests, with accommodations.
https://youtu.be/ZINwnEPhiFM