-
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
This court case ruled that segregation in schools is separate but not equal. As a result, it allowed for parents of students with disabilities to contend their students were not receiving adequate education. -
President John F. Kennedy forms President’s Panel on Mental Retardation
Due to parents forming advocacy groups to help bring the educational needs of children with disabilities to the public eye, President John F. Kennedy forms this panel. The panel recommends federal aid to states. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act passed
Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which provides funding for primary education. This action is seen by advocacy groups as an attempt to grant access to public education for children with disabilities. -
Mainstreaming Emerges
Students with only mild disabilities are allowed to be
mainstreamed with students without disabilities, but are not really being instructed. Students with profound disabilities are still segregated. -
Education for all Handicapped Children Act (EHC) Passed
This law established the right to an education to any child regardless of disability. -
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) passed.
EHC is reformulated as IDEA and establishes that states who accept public funds for education must provide special education to qualifying children with disabilities. This includes establishing guidelines for Free Affordable Public Education. This education must be of benefit to the child and should prepare the child for further education (i.e., college) or to live and work independently. Therefore, school is not just a babysitting service. -
Regular Education Initiative (REI) Enacted
REI is a thoughtful response to identified problems in our system for educating low-performing children, but it is a not a detailed blueprint for changing the system. The authors infer from the literature five assumptions regarding the roles and responsibilities of regular classroom teachers, concluding that these teachers and specialists form a partnership, but the classroom teacher is in charge of the instruction of children in their classrooms, including those who are not succeeding. -
Inclusion Movement Begins
-
No Child Left Behind
This law states that students with mild disabilities must pass all state assessments like students without disabilities. This law requires students with mild disabilities to be instructed using the state standards.
