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Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was the law that ended legal segregation in public schools. The court ruled that "separate but equal" public schools for black and white students was unconstitutional. The unanimous Court wrote that a quality education was crucial for all children and ruled that it was the state's responsibility to ensure educational equality. https://www.nps.gov/brvb/index.htm -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
"Congress enacted the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 1965 to address the inequality of educational opportunity for underprivileged children. This landmark legislation provided resources to help ensure that disadvantaged students had access to quality education." http://www.wrightslaw.com/ -
PARC and Mills
PARC was the court case that permitted the exclusion of students with disabilities from public school. The court then decided that educational placement decisions must include a process of parental participation. The Mills court case bans excluding,suspending, or transferring exceptional students from public school without providing them due process of law. http://www.wrightslaw.com/law/art/history.spec.ed.law.htm -
Section 504
"Section 504 is a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that prohibits discrimination based upon disability. Section 504 is an anti-discrimination, civil rights statute that requires the needs of students with disabilities to be met as adequately as the needs of the non-disabled are met." Section 504 offers accommodations for students who do not qualify for an IEP but still need extra assistance. www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/section-504-2/ -
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
"Parents are allowed to have access to all personally identifiable information collected, maintained, or used by a school district regarding their child." http://www.fortschools.org/ -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was the first special education related law that was directed at students with physical and mental disabilities. The law stated that public schools must provide children with special needs with the same opportunities for education as other children. It requires any public school that accepts federal funding to provide accommodations to students with a disability.
http://www.masters-in-special-education.com/lists/5-important-special-education-laws/ -
IDEA
"The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is the federal law that outlines rights and regulations for students with disabilities in the United States who require special education. Under the IDEA, all children with disabilities are entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least-Restrictive Environment.The law specifies how schools must provide or deny services, and how parents can fight school districts for them." https://www.verywell.com/what-is-idea-3106870 -
No Child Left Behind
The No Child Left Behind act calls for schools to be responsible for academic performance of all students, whether or not they have disabilities. The act requires schools to develop routine assessments of students’ academic skills. No Child Left Behind provides incentives for schools to demonstrate progress in students with special needs. It also allows for students to seek alternative options if schools are not meeting their academic, social or emotional needs.
http://www.edweek.org -
IDEA reauthorized
"There are several changes from the 1997 reauthorization. The biggest changes call for more accountability at the state and local levels, as more data on outcomes is required. Another notable change involves school districts providing adequate instruction and intervention for students to help keep them out of special education." http://www.fortschools.org/
