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Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
The case Plessy v. Ferguson justified racial segregation in public spaces such as schools, as long as it did not violate the U.S. Constitution. The space for each race had to be equal in quality and condition.Homer Plessy, was an African American man who decided to challenge the segregation law in the railroad cars in Louisiana. The decision had a huge impact on African American students. The statement known as "separate but equal" allowed for segregation in schools. -
Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka
Brown v. Board of Education was an impactful U.S. Supreme Court case that challenged the racial segregation in public schools. Oliver Brown who was an African American parent had filed the lawsuit against the Topeka, Kansas school board. The decision declared that the state laws that were establishing segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional. This ruling was a significant step for civil rights and marked the end of legal racial segregation in schools. -
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act was signed by Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1965. ESEA offered grants to districts that had more lower-income students, federal grants for textbooks and library books, funding for special education programs, and scholarships for low-income college students. Additionally, the law provided federal grants to state educational institutions to improve the quality of elementary and secondary education. -
Title IX
Title IX is a law in the U.S. that prohibits gender-based discrimination in school programs and activities. It has impacted equality in education by allowing for equal opportunities for women in both academics and in activities. Title IX made a positive impact on female students by allowing for access to educational and sports opportunities. -
The Rehabilitation Act
This civil rights law prohibits discrimination based on disability in programs that are receiving federal financial assistance. The act had also established the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the Department of Education to provide leadership and arrangement for programs. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA)
the Education for All Handicapped Children Act which is now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was a landmark federal law that guaranteed students with disabilities to received a free and quality education. It had an extreme impact on children with disabilities, because it would guarantee them to have access to education which are set to their specific needs. -
Pyler v. Doe
Pyler v. Doe was a U.S. Supreme Court case that would address the concern people had about undocumented immigrant children's right to public education. The case had involved a group of children who challenged a Texas law that denied them access to free and public education. The Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to deny education based on a child's immigration status which would make sure that undocumented children had the right to attend public schools. -
Abbott v. Burke
New Jersey’s Education Law Center said that the New Jersey’s financial system for their schools was a disadvantage towards the students that were in low-income districts and contributed to the major differences in the fairness of education provided in lower-income districts compared to the wealthier districts. The New Jersey Supreme Court found that the system was considered unconstitutional and made the state administer a program to make sure that funding in the schools would be equal. -
the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act
IDEA was first signed into law in 1975 and at that time it was called the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. It was revised and still made sure that students with a disability are given a free and proper education that is personalized to their specific needs. -
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act was a law that was aimed to improve the quality of education. It made big changes in curriculum taught in schools and It introduced what we know as standardized testing used to measure, assess and improve students performances.