-
Brown v. Board of Education
The U.S. Supreme Court decided in the Brown v. Board of Education case that it was unconstitutional for schools to segregate children by race. This landmark legal ruling laid the ground work for special education legislation in regards to including exceptional students in the classroom. -
PARC v. Penn
In the Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (PARC) v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ruling, the court sided in favor of students with intellectual and learning disabilities in state-run schools. PARC v. Penn called for students with disabilities to be placed in public schools that met their individual educational needs, based on a fair and thorough evaluation. This case led to the invention of IEPs and the Least Restrictive Environment concept. -
Mills v. Board of Education
In a class action suit brought on the behalf of seven students with disabilities in D.C. the courts ruled that all students regardless of disability have the right to a free education. The ruling also stipulated that lack of funding is not a sufficient reason to deny education to students with disabilities. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act, PL 94-142
This act required all public schools accepting federal funds to provide equal access to education for children with physical and mental disabilities. In 1990, this act's name was changed to the IDEA act, and later the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act in 2004. -
Hudson v. Rowley
In this case the Supreme Court addressed the meaning of "free appropriate public education" (FAPE) under the EAHCA, later known as IDEA. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled that FAPE, as defined by EAHCA, does not require schools to maximize a disabled child's potential, but instead to provide individualized instruction and sufficient resources to allow the child to benefit educationally. The case ultimately ensured disabled students access to education, but not necessarily the BEST education. -
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Prohibits discrimination based on a disability. Law also requires that employers provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities, and imposes accessibility requirements on public accommodations. ADA ultimately ensured accessibility of the learning environment with the installation of ramps, awareness of wheelchair use, handicap friendly bathrooms, etc. -
Assistive Technology Act
Designed to make inclusion of students with disabilities easier along with emboldening exceptional students to become more self sufficient.
This law provides funding for technology that helps level the playing field for students with disabilities. Originally enacted in 1998 and most recently reauthorized in 2022. -
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
Requires all students, including those with disabilities, to participate in state standardized tests and be held accountable for meeting academic standards. This inclusion aimed to raise expectations for students with disabilities and ensure they were not ignored in the educational system. -
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
Replaced NCLB in 2015. Aims to shorten the gap between student groups and ensure equal access to education for all. The act also includes initiatives to increase the quality of teachers. There is also an emphasis on parent involvement with their student's schooling. -
Endrew F. v. Douglas
In a supreme court ruling, institutions must provide more than the minimum educational benefit. This lead to the implementation of more specialized IEPs, or in the court's terms a "reasonably calculated" IEP.