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Home Schooling
32 states change thir attendence laws to specifically permit home schooling. -
Plyler v. Doe
U.S. Supreme Court rules that Texas law denying access to public education for for undocumented school-age children violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. -
Wallace v Jaffree
In the case of Wallace v, Jaffree, the U.S. Supreme Court finds that Alabama statutes authorizing silent prayer and teacher-led voluntary prayer in public schools violate the First Amendment. -
Teach For America
Teach for America is formed, reestablishing the idea of a National Teachers Corps. -
Voucher Plan
Milwaukee initiated the voucher plan idea -
Charter School
Minnesota passes the first "charter school" law. -
Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act
President Bill Clinton signs the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. It prohibits states from offering higher education benefit based on residency within a state (in-state tuition) to undocumented immigrants unless the benefit is available to any U.S. citizen or national. -
No Child Left Behind
The law is approved by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush.The law, which reauthorizes the ESEA of 1965 and replaces the Bilingual Education Act of 1968, mandates high-stakes student testing, holds schools accountable for student achievement levels, and provides penalties for schools that do not make adequate yearly progress toward meeting the goals of NCLB. -
Higher Education Act
The Higher Education Act is again amended and reauthorized, expanding access to higher education for low and middle income students, providing additional funds for graduate studies, and increasing accountability. -
NACOL
The North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL), a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing K-12 online education, is "launched as a formal corporate entity." -
The Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act
The law is put into effect on this day. It is reauthorized and is modified form. Changes include modifications in the IEP process and procedural safeguards, increased authority for school personnel in special education placement decisions, and alignment of IDEA with the No Child Left Behind Act. -
Virginia Tech University
Cho Seung-Hui, a 23-year-old student, kills two students in a dorm and then 30 others in a classroom building at Virginia Tech University. Fifteen others are wounded. His suicide brings the death toll to 33, making it the deadliest school shooting incident in U.S. history. -
Q2L
2009 - Quest to Learn (Q2L), the first school to teach primarily through game-based learning, opens in September in New York City with a class of sixth graders There are plans to add a grade each year until the school serves students in grades six through twelve. -
U.S. Economy
With the U.S. economy mired in a recession and employment remaining high, states have massive budget deficits. As many as 300,000 teachers face layoffs. -
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President Barack Obama
In his January 24th State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama calls for requiring students to stay in school until they graduate from high school or reach age 18. Twenty states and the District of Columbia currently require attendance until age 18.
