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Engel v. Vitale
The case of Engel v. Vitale answered the question "does reading a prayer at school violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution?". The Supreme Court rules 6-1 for Engel stating that New York's Regents prayer violates the Establishment Clause. This event was important in shaping multicultural education in the U.S. because it decreased the amount of religious activities that could be present in schools. -
School District of Abington Township, Pennsylvania v. Schempp
The case of School District of Abington Township, Pennsylvania v. Schempp was concerned with Bible reading in Pennsylvania public schools. The Supreme Court reaffirmed their ruling on Engel vs. Vitale that schools cannot require prayers and other religious activities, and doing so is against the Establishment Clause of the First and Fourteenth Amendment. -
Immigration Act of 1965
The Immigration Act of 1965 was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It removed an earlier quota system created by the National Origins Formula. Therefore, it allowed a larger number of immigrants, mainly Asians and Latin Americans, to move to the U.S. This created diversity in American classrooms. -
The Equality of Educational Opportunity Study
The Equality of Educational Opportunity Study was conducted by James Coleman at Johns Hopkins University. Also known as the Coleman Study, the aim of this research was to determine the equality of educational opportunities to children of different origins, races, and religions. The quality of education was assessed by school curriculum and examinations. The results of this study helped desegregate schools in the future. -
The Indian Education Act
The Indian Education Act of 1972 established the Office of Indian Education which issues government funds for American Indian and Alaska Native education. It also initiated an inclusive method for "meeting the unique needs of American Indian and Alaska Native students." -
The Equal Educational Opportunities Act
The Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 is one of a number of laws passed in the 1970's regarding educational reform. It prohibited any kind of discrimination in the school system against staff and students. It also demanded that schools take initiative in decreasing educational barriers for students. -
The Refugee Act of 1980
The Refugee Act of 1980 was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter, and it reformed the previous Immigration Act of 1965. This law extended to admit refugees for humanitarian reasons. The Refugee Act brought three-million refugees to the U.S. including many students. -
The Emergency Immigrant Education Act
Due to a huge influx of immigrant and refugee students in the American school system, the Emergency Immigrant Education Act was enacted to lower the costs for schools due to larger amounts of students. This act also provided the school districts with services to help with the large immigrant student population. -
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1990
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1990 increased the amount of immigrants allowed to enter the United States to 700,000 per year. It also allowed for family-sponsored visas. This increase in immigration added cultural diversity to American schools. -
Multicultural Education: Transformative Knowledge and Action
The book Multicultural Education: Transformative Knowledge and Action, written by James Banks, is about school reform and multicultural education. It also made an impact on the amount of scholarships awarded for multicultural students.
