Mills v. Board of Education is a landmark case for ensuring what?

• A. It established that students with disabilities are entitled to a free public education.
• B. It established the first use of standardized testing.
• C. It mandated segregation of students with disabilities.
• D. It created the ADA.

Answer: (A)

The essential idea is that every student with a disability has the right to a free public education with appropriate services and due process protections. Mills v. Board of Education established that excluding children with disabilities from public schools or failing to provide them with education is not permissible, and that the education offered must be tailored to the child’s needs. This case set the groundwork for the right to a free appropriate public education and the procedures that must accompany decisions about what services are provided, paving the way for later laws that guarantee this right.

This isn’t about standardized testing, mandated segregation, or creating the Americans with Disabilities Act. Those are separate topics and came from different developments in the field.