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Willowbrook State School Opens
Willowbrook State School was a school for those with intellectual disabilities where they could live comfortably and get an education. -
Brown vs Board of Education
This case led the way to a growing understanding that all people, regardless of race, gender, or disability, have a right to public education. -
John F. Kennedy Bill Becomes a Law
The Maternal and Child Health and Mental Retardation Planning Act
This act granted $265 million in federal aid over five years to support programs for the mentally retarded
Facilities and Community Mental Health Construction Act, which granted $330 million over five years for new buildings to serve disabled citizens -
Title VI is added to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
Title VI created a Bureau of Education for Individuals who are handicapped. (Office of Special Education Programs OR OSEP)
At this time Students with Disabilities are not required to be educated. -
Willowbrook State School found overcrowded
By 1965 Willowbrook house 6000 individuals with a capacity of only 4,000. Willowbrook was found to be overcrowded and that the residents were living in filth and dirt. Improvement suggestions came through. -
1972: 2 court cases mandate the equal protection to students with disabilities
Supreme Court Cases:
PARC v. Pennsylvania
Mills v. D.C. Board of Education
Impact on Public Schools: children with disabilities have an equal right to education as their non-disabled peers. There is no law yet stating this, but some students with disabilities start attending school -
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is enacted
This law protects qualified individuals from discrimination based on their disability.
Impact on Public Schools: Most educators were not aware that this applied to public schools. -
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is enacted.
Impact of Public Schools: Parents are allowed to have access to all personally identifiable information collected, maintained, or used by a school district regarding their child. -
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) is enacted
Now known as: IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act:
Impact on Public Schools: Before this Act was passed children with disabilities were denied education soley because of there disability. EAHCA made sure that all public schools educate children with disabilities. -
Willowbrook Closes
In 1983 Willowbrook was found to be overcrowded, inadequate sanitary facilities, and physical and sexual abuse of residents by members of the school's staff and by 1987 the last of the residents left closing WIllowbrook. -
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is enacted
Impact on Public Schools: students start to become more common place in school districts because of Section 504 plans. -
IDEA reauthorized
Impact on Public Schools: Students with disabilities are to be included in all state or district wide assessments. Regular Education Teachers are required to be a part of the IEP team. -
No Child Left Behind is enacted
Impact on Public Schools: Calls for all students, including students with disabilities, to be proficient in math and reading by the year 2014. -
IDEA reauthorized
Impact for Public Schools: school districts should provide adequate instruction and intervention for students to help keep them out of special education.
More accountability at the state and local levels, as more data on outcomes is required