Special Education Law Timeline Review

  • Brown versus Board of Education

    Brown versus Board of Education
    Though this is one of the more famous cases it is actually 5 separate cases dealing with the issue of segregation in schools. The ruling was based on that segregation was not equal but also lead to the idea that children of color were inferior to white children. Was brought before the supreme court in 1952 yet did not have a ruling till May 14, 1954. Yet it was not passed until May 31,1955 that the justices had a plan to proceed and even then was not fully enforced in all states. (Brown)
  • Pennsylvania Association for Retarded children vs Common Wealth of Pennsylvania (PARC)

    Pennsylvania Association for Retarded children vs Common Wealth of Pennsylvania (PARC)
    In 1971 a civil suite and class action was brought against the state of Pennsylvania for the first right-to-education suit in the country, to overturn that Pennsylvania law and secure a quality education for all children. In which the law stated that the state had the right to deny education to students by age 8 whom were not developmentally aged 5. Resulting in a consent decree in which the state agreed to provide a free public education for children with mental retardation. (PUBint)
  • Mills Versus Board of Education

    Mills Versus Board of Education
    This is the ruling that children with disabilities must be given free education. The case established that "all children are entitled to free public education and training appropriate to their learning capacities." (Beyer 1983) Segregation in public education is not reasonably related to any proper governmental objective,a burden that constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of their liberty in violation of the Due Process Clause.(U.S. 1972)
  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act 1973

    Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act 1973
    Section 504 is important as it was the first civil right statue for people with disabilities. This law was part of the foundation that helped create the American Disability Act. This act is important to special education students as this was the nationwide law that stated that students with disabilities should be provided with free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment.
  • IDEA (individual with disabilities education act)

    IDEA (individual with disabilities education act)
    IDEA was first passed in 1975. (At that time, it was called the Education for All Handicapped Children Act.) The primary purposes of IDEA are: To provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to children with disabilities. IDEA covers kids from birth through high school graduation or age 21 (whichever comes first). It provides early intervention services up to age 3, and special education for older kids in public school, including charter schools.
  • Public law 94-142

    Public law 94-142
    Public Law 94-142 proved to be landmark legislation, requiring public schools to provide students with a broad range of disabilities - including physical handicaps, mental retardation, speech, vision and language problems, emotional and behavioral problems, and other learning disorders - with a free appropriate public education. Moreover, it called for school districts to provide such schooling in least restrictive environment
  • plessy versus ferguson

    plessy versus ferguson
    This historic court case is which the foundation for the civil rights and segregation as the supreme court decided in 1896 to uphold racial segregation as long as it is "separate but equal." that separate-but-equal facilities were constitutional. Because of this ruling applied to special education as they were believed to be causing distractions or needed to be separated from the general and was now allowed by law.
  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

    Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
    The original act was known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act from this was amended to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This is a four part piece of legislation that ensures students with a disability are provided with Free Appropriate Public Education that is tailored to their individual needs. With the goal of providing children with disabilities the same opportunity for education as those students who do not have a disability.
  • The Americans with Disabilties Act

    The Americans with Disabilties Act
    This law was created to protect people with disabilities from being discriminated against. As to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity in areas employment, public services, public accommodation, telecommunications and provisions. This is important to special education as to extends to students as it helps them with testing and ensuring that they have accommodations needed to be in an equal learning environment.