History of Special Education

One of the most important Supreme Court decision and ruling was that of Bown v Board of Education. This landmark Supreme Court decision ranks high among those which have promoted equal treatment and diversity, and it greatly impacted the future for African Americans because it laid the foundation for equal rights in education. The Supreme Court thus projected an issue in education which became a driving force that subsequently altered the economic, political, and social structure of this nation. This case was debated for nearly three years and decision was handed down by the Supreme Court in 1954. Essentially, the Brown decision ruled that segregated schools insured that African Americans would have an inferior education that would have an inferior education that would handicap thier ability to function in American society, and ordered that each state end segregated public schools "with all deliberate speed."

Special education is a relatively new concept in education. The question is why? Although, the Federal Government required all children to attend school since 1918, this did not apply to students with disabilities. Many state laws gave school districts the ability to deny access to individuals they deem “uneducable.” The term “uneducable” varied from state to state, school to school, and even individual to individual. If students were accepted into the school, they were placed in regular classrooms with their peers with no support or in classrooms that were not appropriate to meet their needs. This started to change with the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. The lawsuit Brown vs the Board of Education sued to end segregation of public schools laid the ground work for Individuals with Disabilities Act. The next major impact in education was the enactment of Elementary and Secondary Act signed into effect by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965. The purpose of this law was to provide fair and equal access to education for all, established higher standards, and mandated funds for professional development, resources for support education programs, and parent involvement. Under this law, programs like Head Start were created and celebrated their 50th anniversary this year. Despite additional federal funds and mandatory laws, children with disabilities were unserved or underserved by public school due to loop holes with in the law. Many more lawsuit followed Brown vs

The case of Brown v. Board of Education (1954), found that education was an important function. The courts viewed education as playing an important role in the future of the United States and since states chose to provide it, education then is a right that must be available to all on equal terms ( (Murdick, Gartin, & Fowler, 2014). The question of equal terms has been an uphill battle for families that have children with disabilities. There were many acts that addressed educational issues of children with disabilities. The elementary and Secondary Act of 1965 was created to improve education for children that were disadvantaged and it expanded funding. 1974 Education of the Handicapped

The court case known as the Brown v. the Board of Education is notorious for the fight against educational segregation. The court case fought to show the people that “separate” cannot be “equal”. Things such as “The Doll Test and the Fourteenth Amendment” both reveal the truths about how exactly “seperate” cannot be “equal”.

Board of Education trial was important because it changed America as we know it today. The case is said to be the beginning point for the civil rights movement. The trail helped other American’s see the racial discrimination through the unfair treatment. Americans were able to see how the whites were controlling their race and education. Many of the whites were on behalf of slavery before the trial took place and then became in contradiction of slavery after the end of the trial. The case opened up the eyes of Americans to see the damage and discernment they were accountable for. Since more Americans were anti slavery a movement to abolish slavery or commonly known as the civil rights movement

Throughout the ages, people with disabilities have been hidden away at homes or institutions and were often not educated. This was common practice and as such, when the education system was designed, children with disabilities were not even considered. Then, starting soon after the civil rights movement in the 50’s, a series of lawsuits was brought against school boards and the federal government took notice. Then the Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975 was passed and these children were finally allowed the education they deserved. As time went

The Brown vs Board of Education as a major turning point in African American. Brown vs Board of Education was arguably the most important cases that impacted the African Americans and the white society because it brought a whole new perspective on whether “separate but equal” was really equal. The Brown vs Board of Education was made up of five different cases regarding school segregation. “While the facts of each case are different, the main issue in each was the constitutionality of state-sponsored segregation in public schools ("HISTORY OF BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION") .”

Board of education is another case that was related to segregation. This case stated that all public schools would be separated into white and black schools not allowing anyone to mix. It was already hard enough for a black person to experience school already, this case was not making it much easier. After Plessy v. Ferguson was announced, Brown v. Board of education was born. Plessy v. Ferguson did not count towards schools so the board of education decided to make all public schools segregated and the black people would have to find other places to go to school. While the white people stayed at the schools they where in. Because Swann v. Charlotte - Mechlenburg board of education was a case the helped with the segregation in schools problem, this opened a new door for

West Virginia Board of Education vs. Barnette's case is a very important case. Both judges, Justice Jackson and Justice Frankfurter made very important points regarding the

When Public Law 94-142 was passed in 1975 it had a positive impact on the education for children with disabilities. Millions of children in the United States were supported by the law. These children had previously been excluded entirely from the education system.

There are many cases in history that have a racial element like segregation to it. One of the most important, influential, and more well known court cases that dealt with segregation was Brown vs Board of Education of Topeka. It is commonly understood that Brown vs Board of Education dealt with a little girl suing because she wanted to attend an all white school in her neighborhood. In reality, the case was far more complex than that. In December, 1952, the U.S. Supreme Court had on its docket cases from Kansas, Delaware, the District of Colombia, South Carolina, and Virginia, all of which challenged the constitutionality of racial segregation in public schools” (Citation Here). The U.S. Supreme Court consolidated the five court cases into one and gave it the name that is well known, Brown vs the Board of Education. This case would lead the way in challenging segregation in United States school systems and creating and education system that was more equal for minorities.

Furthermore, advocates of special education used the Brown decision to initiate challenges to the existing segregated educational system in the form of well-known court cases. The rulings from these cases declared that it was unconstitutional to have separate schools for students with disabilities. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 was the first major federal effort to subsidize direct services to selected populations in public elementary and secondary schools, and it remains the primary vehicle for federal support of public schools today (Martin, Martin & Termin, 1996).

The landmark Supreme Court cases of Dred Scott v. Sandford, Plessy v. Ferguson, and Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas have had a tremendous effect on the struggle for equal rights in America. These marker cases have set the precedent for cases dealing with the issue of civil equality for the last 150 years.

Special education has faced many changes during the last century. During this time there have been many opinions on the way students with differences should be taught and treated. This paper will discuss the history of special education during the twentieth century. We will also discuss the laws associated with Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Finally we will discuss the current and future challenges that the laws have on special education.

The importance of education for all children, especially for those with disability and with limited social and economic opportunities, is indisputable. Indeed, the special education system allowed children with disability increased access to public education. Apart from that, the special education system has provided for them an effective framework for their education, and for the institutions involved to identify children with disability sooner. In turn, this promotes greater inclusion of children with disability alongside their nondisabled peers. In spite of these advances however, many obstacles remain, including delays in providing services for children with disability, as well as regulatory and