Meghan Wagner

LTM 631
The Evolution of Special Education
Question: How has special education evolved since the legislative initiatives of the
1970s and what impact has that had for students with disabilities?
Rationale: As an educator who will be supporting students with disabilities in the
classroom it is crucial to have an understanding of the recent historical implications pertaining to
the realm of special education. By having a solid understanding of the past it will increase my
capability to help shape the future and best serve my students in the capacity they need and
deserve. P.L. 94-142 laid the foundation of legislative reform in the United States and the
subsequent amendments continued to shape the landscape. By analyzing certain shortcomings
and successes in the field I am better equipped to help in aiding the process by integrating more
creative and holistic approaches. Ultimately, recognizing patterns from the past will allow me to
better prepare myself as my generation of teachers lead the way in equalizing the playing field
for all students.
The struggle for educational equality for those with disabilities has been a long, ongoing
struggle. There still a stigma today that is attached to the idea to people with disabilities. That
stigma is coupled with the idea that we are somehow deficient or less abled whether that is
physically, mentally, emotionally or socially. Another segment of the population is limited today
by their loss of mobility, sight or hearing. A major bulwark in the realm of education can be
attributed to financial constraints and political concerns in every school district across the
country. The 19th century has brought about tremendous and various changes in the move
towards building awareness of special education needs and accepting them. Numerous laws have

been passed that have dramatically altered and shaped the field of special education in America.
That being said many obstacles still stand in the way to reach equality amongst those who have
disabilities.
Up until the 1960 parents of special education students had few rights and even more
limited options to get assistance for their children, with roughly only 20 percent in the public
education sector. Students were essentially not students and were excluded from the
opportunities of their peers. The few options were either to homeschool their child, place them in
state institutions or pay the hefty cost of private school education. The students in special
education came with a variety of disabilities such as hearing and sight disorders, cognitive and
emotional issues, and speech therapy. Beginning in the 60s some key milestones of early federal
support for educating children with disabilities were implemented. President Kennedy and
Johnson signed into law different panels and acts to help with the educational needs of children
with disabilities during their terms. This marked the first time that federal funding was allocated
to assist schools in the implementation of programs. It wasnt until the 1970s when federal
legislation was enacted. It created a momentum and incentive to help students who were
disabled. P.L. 94-142, more commonly referred to as EHA, was a response to congressional
concern for students with disabilities in 1975. The four purposes of P.L. 94-142 were to:

to assure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free
appropriate public education which emphasizes special education and related services
designed to meet their unique needs

to assure that the rights of children with disabilities and their parents are
protected

to assist States and localities to provide for the education of all children with
disabilities

to assess and assure the effectiveness of efforts to educate all children with
disabilities

Source: Education for All Handicapped Children Act, 1975

EHA requirements provided parents and families the necessary support systems to ensure
their child received appropriate and adequate services. The law extended education to more than
1 million children with disabilities who had been previously excluded entirely from the
education system prior to its passing. These issues of improved access became guiding
principles for further advances in educating children with disabilities over the last quarter of the
20th century. (U.S. Department of Education)
The Education of all Handicapped Children was amended in 1990 and renamed the
Individuals with Disabilities Act, more commonly referred to as IDEA. In practice, IDEA is
composed of six main elements that illustrate its primary objectives. These six elements include
the following: Individualized Education Program (IEP), Free and Appropriate Public Education
(FAPE), Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), Appropriate Evaluation, Parent and Teacher
Participation, and Procedural Safeguards. Ultimately the law established children with
disabilities their right to a free public education. Legally, under the IDEA the states who were
awarded public funding for their educational programs were required to provide special
education to those who needed it. A major component of the IDEA philosophy is that education
had to be specifically individualized to meet the needs of each child and their disability. Each

students limitations and appropriate goals had to be written down to make things more
accountable. The purpose of these goals was to help students prepare themselves for their future
whether that was live independently, go on to a trade school or to go on to some type of higher
education. Schools were required to evaluate children and create a plan that paralleled the
educational experience of their non-disabled peers. Another key aspect was to educate the child
in the least restrictive environment. Schools were informed that they must take into account a
students disability when dealing with matters of discipline. These concepts drastically altered
the way students with disabilities were to be serviced as well as disciplined. Since the passing of
IDEA millions of students have benefited in their educational instruction. For the most part the
majority students are mainstreamed into regular classrooms in order to be prepared to be
mainstreamed into society. (U.S. Department of Education)
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) was amended in 1997 and is
now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA), which
went into effect in 2004. The amendments made in IDEIA provide children and youth with
disabilities access to a higher quality of education related services, ensuring all students the
complete access to the most appropriate education within the least restrictive environment.
Under IDEAs legislation, all states receiving federal funding must adhere to the following
guidelines: Provide all students with disabilities between the ages of three and 21 with access to
an appropriate and free public education, Identify, locate and evaluate children labeled with
disabilities, Develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for each child, educate children
with disabilities within their least restrictive environment. These federal provisions enacted by
IDEIA guarantee that all children with disabilities are provided with the suitable and sufficient

services and resources essential for them to succeed academically alongside their non-disabled
peers. (Special Education Public Policy - Project IDEAL)
The national impacts of these bills and amendments have made drastic improvements in
the assessment, access, accountability and the achievement of students with disabilities. The
percentage of total public school enrollment that represents children served by federally
supported special education programs increased from 8.3 percent to 13.8 percent between
IDEAs implementation and 200405. It must be kept in mind that some of this is attributed to
the fact that more students are being identified having specific learning disabilities from 197677
(1.8 percent) to 200405 (5.7 percent). The high school graduation rate for those with disabilities
has seen great strides with the changes to special education. During the school year 200708,
IDEA-reported data indicated that 217,905 students with disabilities, ages 1421, graduated high
school with a regular diploma. This demonstrates a 16-point increase in the percentage of
students with disabilities graduating from high school since the school year 199697. Beyond
that, IDEA-reported data from those years was a 21-point decrease in the percentage of students
with disabilities dropping out between the years of 199697 and 200708. There has been a
significant increase in youths with disabilities who are enrolled in postsecondary programs. This
percentage rose from 14.6 percent in 1987 to 31.9 percent in 2005 at two-and four-year colleges
and universities. (US Department of Education)
The numbers have indicated that progress since IDEA has indeed been made. High
quality interventions for students with disability function as preventative measures that reduce
the need for future services. Since the year 2000, children have been identified earlier than in
previous years. For infants and toddlers ages birth through 2, the number receiving services
under Part C of IDEA has nearly doubled, from 177,281 in 1995 to 321,894 in 2007. For those

classified under Part B, encompassing children aged 3-5 that number has increased by 23 percent
from 548,588 in 1995 to 710,371 in 2007. IDEA has supported the collaboration among federal,
state, and local agencies to effectively execute assessment and teaching practices and related
instructional materials for young children and their families by providing early intervention and
preschool education. This indicates that not only have we improved the means to recognize and
identify these skills at a younger age, but also that we have improved in our capacity to serve
them. In the past, students with disabilities have been unable to attend their neighborhood
schools due to lack of resources and programs. With the implementation of IDEA more children
with disabilities are not only attending neighborhood schools but also are receiving access to the
general education curriculum and learning a wide variety of academic skills. IDEA reported data
indicated that 95 percent of students with disabilities are being serviced in their neighborhood
school. In addition to this is the increased progress indicated through a fourth grade reading
study. Average scores for students with disabilities increased by more than 20 points between
2000 and 2009 and proficiency levels saw significant gains, increasing 39 percent between those
years. The achievement gap for those with disabilities has decreased from 50 points in 2000 to 34
points in 2009. These results are demonstrative of the progress made by P.L. 94-142 and its
subsequent amendments. (US Department of Education)
Despite the progress there are those who see flaws in IDEAs strict guidelines. Some
believe that the law sets up a paradox between the notion of least restrictive environment and
additional supports and services students may need to make their academic goals. Ed Amundson,
a special education teacher in Sacramento, California, would change the phrase from least
restrictive environment to most appropriate. He believes that there are circumstances where a
self-contained classroom is the most suitable environment and the inclusive classroom hinders

their progress. Katherine Bishop, a National Board Certified Teacher in Special Needs and
former instructional coach in Oklahoma states that inclusion needs to be on a case by case basis,
keeping the students Individualized Education Plan in mind. It cannot become an everybody
education plan, every student is different and by lumping everyone together they are essentially
missing out on certain supports and class options. Some educators believe that for inclusive
practice to work, schools need to offer a number of options across the continuum to best serve
students with disabilities. With a majority of self-contained classes being eliminated in favor of
inclusion across districts it calls to question whether or not least restrictive environment has
been taken too far. (Alvarez)
Special education, like general education, needs a makeover for the 21st century. Its
service models, instructional strategies, funding, identification methods, disability definitions,
[Individualized Education Program] protocols, and so on, no longer serve the needs of truly
disabled youngsters, observed the authors of the Fordham education study. As we look to the
future special education thrives and continues to evolve along with technology. As technological
advancements progress so do our capabilities to reach students. The greater flexibility and
personalization will enhance individual learning opportunities. These tools can assist us in
bridging the educational gap and truly equalize the playing field. With the integration of
technology comes the need for increased exposure and training in these areas, not only for
special education teachers, but also for regular education teachers. Teachers need to creatively
find solutions as they meet all students where they are at and get them to where they need be. As
the game continues to change, protecting special education funding is crucial as it faces constant
scrutiny from government leaders. Funding for IDEA has been short for a number of years.
President Obama signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 that dedicated 415 million

dollars of funding for IDEA state grant in an attempt to rectify some of the financial problems.
(Alvarez) With consistent budget decreases in the realm of education and without the proper
funding, we loose the potential and capacity to do everything within our power.
The history of Special Education is demonstrative not only of how far we have come, but
also what lies ahead in terms of our nations Special Education legislation, policy and advocacy.
These landmark laws and their amendments have laid the foundation for supporting states and
localities in protecting the rights of, meeting the individual needs of, and improving results for
youth with disabilities and their families. While America has made huge strides in terms of
integrating special education students in the classroom there is still a long way to go. We must
strive to prepare special education students to be able to mainstream into societys workforce and
become productive members of society by providing them with the supports and services they
need. If we are able to accomplish that, they will be self-supporting and gain a sense of
independence.

Work Cited
Alvarez, B. (2016). Inclusion for some, not for all. NeaToday, 48-49.
Special Education Public Policy - Project IDEAL. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2016, from
http://www.projectidealonline.org/v/special-education-public-policy/
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Thirtyfive Years of Progress in Educating Children With Disabilities Through IDEA,
Washington, D.C., 2010.
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2015). Digest of
Education Statistics, 2013 (NCES 2015-011), Chapter 2.