History of special education including timeline and detailed information.

1. HISTORY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
BY: KAYLA FARLEY
DR. LORI GOEAS
SPE/300

2. TIMELINE OF HISTORICAL EVENTS
OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
• 1 JANUARY 1866- CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1866
• 1 JANUARY 1896- PLESSY V. FERGUSON
• 6 OCTOBER 1954- BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION
• 1 JANUARY 1972- MILLS V. BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
• 5 MAY 1972- PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATION FOR RETARDED CITIZENS V. PENNSYLVANIA. & MILLS
V. D.C. BOARD OF EDUCATION
• 26 SEPTEMBER 1973- SECTION 504 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973
• 1 JANUARY 1975- PUBLIC LAW NO. 94-142
• 1 JANUARY 1982- THE ROWLEY DECISION
• 26 JULY 1990- THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
• 1 JANUARY 2001- NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND

3. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1866- 1 JANUARY 1866
• BY DECLARING THAT ALL PERSONS BORN
HERE IN THE US ARE CITIZENS THIS ACT
PROVIDES THAT IT WAS ILLEGAL TO
DISCRIMINATE AGAINST INDIVIDUALS ON
THE BASIS OF COLOR, RACE OR WHETHER
THEY WERE A SLAVE. THIS IN TURN
WOULD HELP IN FUTURE LITIGATION AND
PROVIDE REMEDY FOR THOSE EFFECTED IN
THE EDUCATION SYSTEM (SMITH,
POLLOWAY, PATTON & DOWDY, 2011).

4. PLESSY V. FERGUSON 1 JANUARY 1896
• THE SUPREME COURT ORDERED THAT IT WAS
LEGAL TO SEGREGATE INDIVIDUALS AND HAVE
SEPARATE FACILITIES AS LONG AS THEY WERE
EQUAL. HOWEVER, SEPARATE IS NOT EQUAL
AS WE LEARN THROUGH OUT THE CIVIL
RIGHTS MOVEMENT. THIS DECISION WOULD
NOT BE CORRECTED UNTIL BROWN V. BOARD
58 YEARS LATER (SMITH, POLLOWAY, PATTON
& DOWDY, 2011)

5. BROWN VS. BOARD OF EDUCATION-
6 OCTOBER 1954
• THIS IS A CONSOLIDATED CASE THAT
FOUGHT FOR DESEGREGATION OF ALL
PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN THE US AND
SEPARATE BUT EQUAL WAS
UNCONSTITUTIONAL. THIS IS THE
SPRINGBOARD FOR LITIGATION AND
LEGISLATION REGARDING STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES (SMITH, POLLOWAY, PATTON &
DOWDY, 2011).

6. MILLS V. BOARD OF EDUCATION OF
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA- 1 JANUARY 1972
• THIS CASE INVOLVED THE COURT ESTABLISHING DUE
PROCESS PROCEDURES TO ENSURE ALL STUDENTS HAD
EQUAL RIGHTS. THIS WAS A PROCEDURAL LAW THAT
WAS LATER INCLUDED IN PUBLIC LAW NO. 94-142. THE
BOARD OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DENIED ACCESS
TO EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WHO WERE SPECIAL
NEEDS. THE COURT FOUND THAT FREE PUBLIC
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, OR A SUITABLE PRIVATE
ALTERNATIVE PAID FOR BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION,
MUST BE DELIVERED BASED ON THE STUDENTS'
INDIVIDUAL NEEDS, REGARDLESS OF COST (SMITH,

7. PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATION FOR RETARDED CITIZENS V.
PENNSYLVANIA. & MILLS V. D.C. BOARD OF EDUCATION
5 MAY 1972
• THE FEDERAL COURT DECIDED THAT CHILDREN
WITH MENTAL DISABILITIES WOULD BE
PROVIDED WITH FREE AND APPROPRIATE
PUBLIC EDUCATION. THESE CASES PROVIDED A
LEGAL STANDING TO CHALLENGE OFFICIALS
DENYING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY. THESE CASES
BROUGHT TO ATTENTION THAT STUDENTS
WITH DISABILITIES SHOULD NOT BE EXCLUDED
AND SHOULD HAVE EQUAL PROTECTION
UNDER THE LAW.

8. SECTION 504 OF THE REHABILITATION
ACT OF 1973- 26 SEPTEMBER 1973
• THIS LAW SIGNED IN BY PRESIDENT NIXON
PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE
AND SCHOOLS AND ANY ENTITY RECEIVING
FEDERAL FUNDING. THIS PLAN MANDATES
INDIVIDUALIZED PLANS FOR ELIGIBLE DISABLED
STUDENTS WHO NEED ACCOMMODATIONS OR
MODIFICATIONS IN OR ORDER TO RECEIVE FAPE.
LEAST RESTRICTIVE EDUCATION MANDATE IS AN
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT AS FAR AS PLACEMENT TO THE
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT (SMITH, POLLOWAY,
PATTON & DOWDY, 2011).

9. PUBLIC LAW NO. 94-142
1ST JANUARY, 1975
• THE EDUCATION FOR ALL HANDICAPPED
CHILDREN ACT. THIS LAW SECURED THE BASIC
IDEALS, RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES TO
ENSURE EQUAL ACCESS TO PUBLIC
EDUCATION FOR ALL CHILDREN WHO ARE
DISABLED. THE KEY ELEMENT BEING THAT PRIOR
WRITTEN NOTICE BE PROVIDED TO THE PARENT
REGARDING PROPOSES OR REFUSES
CHANGES TO IDENTIFICATION, OR PLACEMENT
OF A CHILD OR FAPE (SMITH, POLLOWAY,
PATTON & DOWDY, 2011).

10. THE ROWLEY DECISION
1ST JANUARY, 1982
• THE U.S. SUPREME COURT'S FIRST
INTERPRETATION OF WHAT WAS THEN CALLED
THE EDUCATION FOR ALL HANDICAPPED
CHILDREN ACT (NOW THE INDIVIDUALS WITH
DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT, "IDEA"). "BASIC
FLOOR OF RESPONSIBILITY" AND "SOME
EDUCATIONAL BENEFIT" A TWO PART TEST
CAN BE IMPLEMENTED NOW WHEN WORKING
THROUGH SPECIFIC CASE ISSUES. (SMITH,
POLLOWAY, PATTON & DOWDY, 2011).

11. THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
26TH JULY, 1990
• THIS LAW PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BY YOUR
EMPLOYER, SERVICES RECEIVED BY STATE AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, IN PLACES OF PUBLIC
ACCOMMODATION, TRANSPORTATION AND
TELECOMMUNICATIONS. THIS IS KEY BECAUSE A
PUBLIC SCHOOL IS INCLUDED UNDER THIS LAW BY
PROVIDING CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTIONS TO
INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND NOT
DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF RACE, SEX,
NATIONAL ORIGIN, AND RELIGION. (SMITH,
POLLOWAY, PATTON & DOWDY, 2011).

12. NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
1ST JANUARY, 2001
• THE SAID GOAL OF NCLB IS TO "LEVEL THE
PLAYING FIELD" IN EDUCATION. THERE ARE
SEVERAL STANDARDS SUCH AS ADEQUATE
YEARLY PROGRESS, USE OF "SCIENTIFICALLY
BASED RESEARCH", TEACHERS WHO ARE
"HIGHLY QUALIFIED", EVALUATIONS AND
MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR
PARAPROFESSIONALS. SANCTIONS APPLY TO
SOME OF THE ABOVE IF STANDARDS ARE NOT
MET. (SMITH, POLLOWAY, PATTON & DOWDY,
2011).

13. • TERMINOLOGY HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS THROUGH FOR EXAMPLE “MENTALLY
RETARDED” HAS BEEN CHANGED TO “COGNITIVE DISABILITY”. ELIMINATING
IGNORANCE AND ARMING PEOPLE WITH CORRECT INFORMATION IS REALLY
IMPORTANT. PERCEPTION IS EVERYTHING HOWEVER GIVING PEOPLE A MORE DETAILED
AND RELIABLE UNDERSTANDING OF INFORMATION MAKES A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE.
• STUDENTS ARE IN THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT NOW SO THAT WE ENSURE
STUDENTS ARE NOT UNNECESSARILY REMOVED FROM THE REGULAR CLASSROOM OR
ISOLATED FROM OTHER NON-DISABLED CHILDREN OF THEIR AGE.
• SOCIETY HAS COME A LONG WAY AND IN 1961 PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDINGS
STARTED TO REQUIRE RAMPS SO THEY COULD BE ACCESSIBLE BY ALL. SPECIAL
EDUCATION WAS NOT A MAJOR CONCERN SOME 30-40 YEARS AGO BECAUSE
DISABILITIES WERE VIEWED AS JUST ANOTHER PROBLEM. NOW DISABLED PERSONS
ARE ACCOMMODATED FOR EVERY WHERE. SOCIETIES HAS COME TO SEE THAT A
DISABILITY IS NOT THAT DIFFERENT FROM GENERAL EDUCATION AND IS COMBINING
AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
• THE EVENTS SHOWN IN THE TIMELINE ARE EACH A STEP TOWARD PROVIDING A BETTER
EDUCATION FOR ALL PEOPLE TOGETHER BECAUSE IT DOES NOT MATTER ABOUT A
DISABILITY BECAUSE EVERYONE DESERVES AN EDUCATION.
-HOW HAS TERMINOLOGY HAS
CHANGED?
-WHY ARE STUDENTS NOW
IN THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE
ENVIRONMENT?
-HOW HAS SOCIETY'S VIEW OF
SPECIAL EDUCATION CHANGED?
-WHY ARE THE EVENT OUTLINED
SIGNIFICANT IN SHAPING
SPECIAL EDUCATION?
Questions….

14. CONCLUSION
• SPECIAL EDUCATION HAS A LENGTH HISTORY HOWEVER EACH STEP IN THE HISTORICAL
TIMELINE HAS SHOWN THAT NO MATTER WHAT WE WILL FIGHT FOR EQUALITY FOR ALL.
EDUCATION HAS COME A LONG WAY OVER THE PAST YEARS DATING BACK TO THE 1800’S.
EDUCATION WILL CHANGE AND WE AS TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WILL CHANGE AS WELL.