Special Education Placement in Public SchoolsHistory of Public SchoolsBefore the 1840s, the education system was only available to wealthy people. Individuals like Horace Mann of Massachusetts and Henry Barnard of Connecticut believed that universal schooling would help individuals become productive citizens in society. Through their efforts, free public education at the elementary level became available to all American children by the end of the 19th century. By 1918, all states had passed laws requiring children to attend elementary school. The Catholics were against this law and therefore created their own private schools. In 1925, the Supreme Court passed a law allowing children to attend private school rather than public school (Watson, 2008). Facts About Special Education in Public Schools In the late 1980s and 1990s, the number of children with learning disabilities receiving special education services increased rapidly. , but in 1998 and 2007, the number of children classified as having LD decreased by 7% (Cortiella, 2009). “In 2007, 59% of students with LD spent 80% or more of their school time in general education classes. In 2000, this figure was only 40%” (Cortiella, 2009). Additionally, students with disabilities spend more time with them in traditional classrooms. According to the Ministry of Education, “approximately 6 million children (approximately 10% of all school-aged children) benefit from special education services” (Pardini, 2011). Problem Statement Students are placed in special education classes based solely on their IQ. The study of IQ and its functioning in the field of education has been argued through various theories. Theorist such as Howard Garner, R...... middle of article...... January 29, 2011 from http://otec.uoregon.edu/intelligence.htmPardini, P. (2011). Rethinking schools. The history of special education. Retrieved January 29, 2011, from http://www.rethinkingschools.org/restrict.asp?path=archive/16_03/Hist163.shtmlPresident's Commission on Excellence in Special Education. (2005). A new era: revitalizing special education for children and their families. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. Watson, S. (2008). How public schools work. The history of public schools. Retrieved January 28, 2011 from http://people.howstuffworks.com/public-schools.htmYsseldyke, J. and Marston, D. (2009). Origins of categorical special education services in schools and the rationale for their modification. Special education in transition: Functional assessment and noncategorical programming (pp. 1–18). Longmont, Colorado: Sopris West.