Long title | An act to establish a comprehensive prohibition of discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, or national origin |
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Acronyms (colloquial) | EEOA |
Effective | August 21, 1974 |
Citations | |
Statutes at Large | 20 USC Sec. 1701-1758 |
Codification | |
Acts amended | Elementary and Secondary Education Act |
Titles amended | 20 U.S.C.: Education |
U.S.C. sections amended | 20 U.S.C. ch. 70 |
Legislative history | |
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United States Supreme Court cases | |
Lau v. Nichols Castañeda v. Pickard Plyler v. Doe Keyes v. School District 1 United States v. State of Texas Idaho Migrant Council v. Board of Education Flores v. Arizona |
The Equal Educational Opportunities Act (EEOA) of 1974 is a federal law of the United States of America. It prohibits discrimination against faculty, staff, and students, including racial segregation of students, and requires school districts to take action to overcome barriers to students' equal participation. It is one of a number of laws affecting educational institutions including the Rehabilitation Act (1973), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The civil rights movement brought about controversies on busing, language rights, desegregation, and the idea of “equal education". The groundwork for the creation of the Equal Educational Opportunities Act first came about with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination and racial segregation against African Americans and women. In 1968 the U.S. Department of Education, formerly the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, issued a statement saying that school officials are responsible for providing equal educational opportunities for all, regardless of one’s nationality, race, or color. A 1970 memorandum was then passed, clarifying the responsibilities of school officials. In addition to requiring separate classes to be created for students less than proficient in the English language, communication between students’ parents and the school was to be required to be conducted in a language understood by the parents.