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Brown v Board of Education
The Brown decision led the way to a growing understanding that all people, regardless of race, gender, or disability, have a right to a public education. https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/supreme-court-landmarks/brown-v-board-education-podcast The Brown decision was later extended to children with disabilities that were denied enrollment in public schools or insufficiently by public schools. . -
Mills v. Board of Education of District of Columbia
The school system argued that it can't provide public-funded special education services to certain students due to lack of financial resources. The court held that no child may be denied public education because of "mental, behavioral, physical or emotional handicaps or deficiencies".
The court further provided that students with disabilities must be given a public education even if the students are unable to pay for the cost of the education. https://disabilityjustice.org/right-to-education/ -
Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act, 1973
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a national law that protects qualified individuals from
discrimination based on their disability. The nondiscrimination requirements of the law apply to employers
and organizations that receive financial assistance from any Federal department or agency, including the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ocr/civilrights/resources/factsheets/504.pdf -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
All children with disabilities must have an individualized education program (IEP), a free and appropriate public education (FAPE), and be served in the least restrictive environment. This is to ensure that students with disabilities are provided with a FAPE that is tailored to their individual needs. IDEA was previously known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA). Part C of the Act covers infants and toddlers. https://sites.ed.gov/idea/ -
Board of Education v. Rowley
The Court held that “the intent of the Education of the Handicapped Act was more to open the door of public education to handicapped children on appropriate terms than to guarantee any particular level of education.
The Rowley decision clarified that children with disabilities were entitled to “access” to an education that provided an “educational benefit.” A school district does not have to “maximize” each disabled child’s potential. https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/458/176/ -
Honig v Doe
The case is about Suspension and Expulsion of Handicapped Students. The Honig decision is a landmark case in which the U.S. Supreme Court dealt with the issue of expelling a disabled child based on actions arising out of that child’s disability. In Honig, the Court ruled that a school district may not unilaterally exclude or expel a disabled child from the classroom setting for dangerous or disruptive conduct growing out of their disabilities. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Honig-v-Doe -
Timothy W., Etc., Plaintiff, Appellant, v. Rochester, New Hampshire, School District
A child,Timothy .W., with multiple and severe disabilities was denied a free and appropriate public education because the school district he was “ not capable of benefiting” from education. The court reasoned that the EAHCA adopts a “zero-reject” policy with respect to eligibility and that “capacity to benefit” from special education is not a prerequisite for children to be eligible for services. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/875/954/179023/ -
No Child Left Behind Act
It supported standards-based education reform .
Under the law, states were required to administer yearly Assessments of the reading and mathematics skills of public school students and to demonstrate adequate progress toward raising the scores of all students to a level defined as “proficient".
Assessments must provide for adaptations and accommodations for students with disabilities as defined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
https://ncd.gov/publications/2008/01282008 -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), 2004
The new Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004 regulations contain changes in several important areas, including methods to identify students with learning disabilities, early intervening services, highly qualified teachers, discipline, and meeting accessibility standards. -
Endrew F. v. Douglas County School
The US Supreme Court ruled that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ("IDEA"), required schools to provide students an education that is "reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child’s circumstances. https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/16pdf/15-827_0pm1.pdf
