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Standardized Testing: 1840's-Today
-Standardized testing dates all the way back to the 1840's when students' knowledge was identified through written test instead of oral exams. Continuing with the idea of testing students knowledge on paper, in 1920 the SAT was adopted to help set students on the right career path based on their score on the test. Today, largely due to NCLB, public schools expanded state-mandated standardized testing to assess a school's academic performance. -
Brown vs. the Board of Education: 1954
-Brown vs, the Board of Educational was a pivotal moment in the history of education where it was ruled unconstitutional for the segregation of white and black students in public schools. -
IDEA Act: 1975 -Amendments made in 1990, 1997, and 2004
-IDEA was originally known as Education of Handicapped Children Act in 1975. In 1990 the name was changed to its current name of, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004.This act, provided FAPE, (free, appropriate public education) to all learners regardless of their disability in an environment that was least restrictive to the individual.The act became very important to me as a professional as I began a career in special education and became an advocate for students with disabilities. -
Reading Excellence Act (REA): 1998/1999
-The Reading Excellence Act (REA) began in 1999 and established grants to states in an effort to improve students' reading skills and the reading instructional practices of teachers. The idea was that these grants would improve students skills in phonemic awareness phonics, and reading comprehension in an effort to decrease the rise in illiteracy. -
Playing School at my Grandparents:1999
-When I was young my cousins, siblings, and I would play and teach school in my grandparents basement. We would take turns being the teacher and assigning work and project to complete. This began a long road to a love of learning. -
Visiting the Public Library: 2000
-During the summer, and whenever we could fit it into our schedules, my mom would take me to the the public library. I found joy in searching through countless books and using the search engine to find desired titles. The public library was a place with endless books and possibilities for learning. To this day I vividly remember being issued my own library card. Libraries continued to play a huge role in my education throughout college. -
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB): 2001
-No Child Left Behind Act was an update to an act from 1965, called the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to help cover the cost of educating disadvantaged students. No Child Left behind was signed into law by President George W. Bush out of concern that the American education system was no longer internationally competitive. NCLB increased the federal role in schools, increasing the responsibility for academic progress for all students, including those with disabilities and more. -
Poetry Unit in 3rd Grade: 2002
-During 3rd grade we completed a poetry unit as a class. However, my teacher took it a step further and planned a night for our parents to come and enjoy our classroom poetry after school. This event was something I remember being so nervous and excited about reading in front of so many people, but my teacher made it seem easy. Everything about my 3rd grade year was memorable and was a huge reason why I decided to become a teacher. -
The BFG: 2003
-The Big Friendly Giant (BFG), was the first book I fell in love with and read over and over again. The BFG kick started my love of reading for fun and for myself. I realized for the first time that reading could be more than just an assignment given by teachers. -
Mentor Texts: 2018- EDUC 565 Literacy Leadership
-When learning about literacy leadership last semester I discovered the importance of using well written mentor texts to support writing instruction in the classroom. Mentor texts can offer students many skills to support and enhance their own writing. The idea of incorporating mentor texts within my writing lessons will allow my students to be exposed to all types of writing.
