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In the year 1816, Robert Owen opened an infant achool in New Lanark, Scotland. It was designed to care for approximately 100 children, ages 18 months ot ten years while their parents worked in his cotton mills.
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In the year 1818, the first infant school in London was opened. James Buchannan was the head master, and it opened at Brewer's Green in Westminster.
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In the year of 1830, the Infant School Society of Boston submitted a petition to incorporate infant chools into the Boston Public Schools. It was rejected, as the primary-school teachers claimed that infant school graduates were too difficult to manage.
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In 1926, The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) was established. It was designed improve the well being of all children and focus on quality of education and developmental services.
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The National Defense Education Act was passed on September 2, 1958. This act provided federal funding for science, technology, engineering, math, and foreign language education. It is considered to be the beginning of federal standards in education.
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In 1965, the Head Start program was founded in the United States through the Department of Health & Human services. It was originally founded to ready low-income chuldren over the summer for kindergarten in the fall. Now, it is a respected preschool program for kids of all backgrounds and abilities.
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On Novemeber 30, 1975, the Education of All Handicapped Children Act was passed. This act mandated that in order to receive federal funds, states must develop and implement policies that ensure a free appropriate public education for all children with disabilities.
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On January 8, 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act was signed into law. It was an act that changed what is taught in classrooms, the way students are taught, and the testing.
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In 2013, President Obama called to Congress to expane access to high-quality preschools to all children in America. It also promotes access to full-day kindergarten and high-quality early education programs for children under age four.