One of the great benefits of living in America is the free education that the nation provides to its students. Whether one is sick, wealthy, Black, Mexican, or White one has the same right to attend the schools in this country and do so without cost. For the average student with average or above-average abilities that has always meant building a foundation for success, but until a decision called IDEA was implemented children with special education needs were given a substandard education that had no hope of leading to success. IDEA was one of the most critical decisions that have ever been made in the United States school system.
             In 1960 a landmark decision was handed down that was founded in the attempt to end discrimination in the school districts against African Americans(Franklin, 2005). In that decision, Brown v Board of Education, the nation was ordered to stop treating African Americans differently than others were treated. Little did the nation know that decision would impact not only the education of African Americans but it would have a historic impact on the way special education students were to be educated in American public schools.
             The decision was prompted by the suit of one student who wanted to attend a school that was considered a "white" school. The student resided in Topeka Kansas and the case went all the way to the United States Supreme Court before being determined as unconstitutional to discriminate based on the fact that every student in this nation is to be considered equally(Franklin, 2005).
             Once the decision in the Brown case was decided it was only a matter of time until the special education population reaped the benefits of the decision as well.
             IDEA is arguably the most important decision that was ever made with regard to the education of special education students in the United States as it had a far-reaching and historic impact on the quality and quantity of education that those students ...