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Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) signed into law
This civil rights law and its amendments addressed the inequality in education for children with disadvantages related to socioeconomics and physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. A 1966 amendment provided grants for schools to develop and improve programs that supported students with disabilities, although there were no mandates on how the funds were used. Additional support included things like free and reduced lunches and additional teachers. -
Vocational Rehabilitation Act (VRA)
This act defines "handicapped person" and "appropriate education". It prohibits discrimination against students with disabilities in federally funded programs and revised the authorization of grants to states for vocational rehabilitation with a special emphasis on those with the most severe handicaps. The responsibilities of the government in training and coordination of health, education, and welfare services was expanded in this act. -
Educational Amendments Act (EAA)
This act established the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Federal funding for the education of exceptional learners and the gifted and talented became available through this legislation. Families have more rights in the placement of their child in special education programs as well as the right to review the child's personal school files. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA)
EAHCA requires that states provide free and appropriate education for children with disabilities age 5-18. This is the first legislation that requires individualized education programs (IEPs), defines "least restrictive environment", and initiated the idea of mainstreaming. More rights were provided to parents who disagreed with the suitability of their child's education. -
Education of the Handicapped Amendments
Due to the Education of the Handicapped Amendments, states are required to offer free and appropriate preschool education for students age 3-5 and are offered incentives to do so. Grants are provided to states to expand services to infants age 0-2 who have or are at risk of developmental delay. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (Public Law 101-476)
This act, which replaced the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (EAHCA), establishes "people-first" language and extends the following services to students with disabilities: social work, assistive technology, rehabilitation, bilingual education for those with disabilities, special education for students with autism and traumatic brain injury, and employment transition education. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
This reauthorization of IDEA (1990) includes further measures to mainstream students with disabilities into the general education curriculum. Special education teachers may assist general education students when needed. Students with disabilities will continue to receive services even if expelled and will now take part in assessments. Cooperation between students' families and school staff is encouraged through mediation and involvement in IEP teams. -
No Child Left Behind Act
Funding to states is dependent on performance of schools (accountability) reflected in assessment of all students, including those with disabilities. Early reading interventions are included in the act and school choice becomes an option for those enrolled in failing schools. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA)
With the implementation of IDEIA, school districts now may use resonse to intervention (RTI) to determine whether a student has a disability rather than a record of severely failing grades (prevention vs reaction). School districts are held accountable for the education and preparation of students for further education and employment age preschool through 21. The special education licensure process becomes more rigorous.
