-
Colonial Education Period
During this time frame only big towns were required to build schools. These were not free schools or public to the outside community.During this time students used the Horn book, made out of wood, sheet of parchment, and cow horn and it was worn around their necks. Older students used The Primer, on it was the alphabet, spelling guide, Lord's prayer and commandments, etc. -
First Education Laws in Massachusetts
During this time there was a selectman for each town assigned by the state. This person was responsible to make sure parents and masters of children were providing education to their children. He was also responsible to find out what was being taught to the children. If they weren't following the rules then the children would have been removed and placed with another master. It was important they knew religion and capital laws of the country. -
Noah Webster
Webster believed the British textbooks needed to be eliminated. He published the Elementary Spelling book also known as the Blue-Back Speller. This book helped many learn American English through reading, spelling and pronoucing words. Many years later he created the American Dictionary of the English language. He is known as the "Schoolmaster of America" and was great influence in Education. -
Father of American Education
Horace Mann elected into the Massachusetts legislature, was the spokesman for common schools. Mann would travel all over to inspect school buildings and supplies/materials available to the school. Mann recommended that each school should have tables, chairs, standardized textbooks, teacher training, increase in their pay, and free education for children. After these recommendations other schools would follow these guidelines to the students in their area. -
Committe of Ten
The National Education Association created the Committee of Ten to help standardize the curriculum. The curriculum would be an early introducation to basic subjects and uniform subject matter and instruction for both college bound and terminal students with few electives. The curriculum was geared towards college prep course which the committee felt it would help students with memory, expression, reasoning, and observation. While taking the courses they would meet 4 or 5 times a week for a year. -
Standardized Testing
Read more here.**MOST IMPORTANT-Frederick Kelly created multiple choice tests to help students and teachers. Kelly realized that with all the students, teahcers had in class there had to be a easier way of grading papers as well as not passing judgement on any one student. Thus he devised a system to use multiple choice questions for all students. This system of testing was known as the Kansas Silent Reading Test, which was supposed to measure "lower-order thinking." These types of test are still being used. -
WW2 Hits Home and Education
Pearl Harbor was attacked and many lives were lost because of this war teachers left to be on the battlefield. This meant that high school and college enrollment dropped dramtically. Children chose whether they went to school or went to work, those that went to school were taught how to hide under their desk in case of a raid. The Lanham Act was introduced providing assistant to military families and those in defense jobs. In 1944 the GI Bill was signed to assist veterans with school. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
A US Supreme Court in Topeka, KS ruled against segregation within education facilities. The court stated, "this is no place for segregation in schools and it affects children's ability to learn." However, many were not happy about this decision, this was the beginning of the Civil Rights movement. Police were getting attack for upholding the ruling. Schools were being destroyed and some African Americans lost their jobs. -
Sputnik and NDEA
Sputnik was the first satellite launched into space by the Soviet Union. This sparked great interest to have schools in the U.S. teaching about math, science and foreign language. In 1958 the National Defense Education Act was initated. The federal government tried to influence elementary and secondary schools to teach children in lessons to become better engineers, trained students and teachers, all funded by the federal government. -
Civil Rights Act
Read more hereMOST IMPORTANT Before President Kennedy's death he pushed for the end of segregation in public facilities and discrimination in employment. Thus the Civil Rights Act was passed by President Johnson, which became Title VI-prohibits discrimination against race, color, national orgin, etc. In order to receive federal funding, schools needed to be intergrated. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
President Johnson signed the bill and three months later it was enacted to help with the "War on Proverty." One billion dollars of federal funds a year helps educate families of low income homes and to maintain Head Start programs. President Johnson felt it was important that every child be given the opportunity to learn and have an education. The funds help students stay in school longer and have a better success at learning. -
Bilingual Education Act
Bilingual Edu ActMOST IMPORTANT This is the Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and was signed by President Lyndon B Johnson. It is an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This act allowed for federal funds to go to school districts in order to provide bilingual education to low income students with limited English proficiency. -
Individuals w/Disabilities in Education Act
Read more hereMOST IMPORTANT-Signed into office by President Gerald Ford, this law allowed for students with disabilities to attend school. Children with disabilities were given free and appropriate education in a least restivtive environment. These students were also given help to transition from one level of schooling to the next to help them graduate and be successful. The quality of life improved dramastically for children with disabilities. -
A Nation at Risk
Nation at RiskMOST IMPORTANANT President Reagan didn't like the way schools were performing. This report came out expressing how the education available to youth had begun to go down hill. There were several changes that were made to the education system, for example, there would be higher standards for students to graduation, increase testing for teachers, standardize testing, longer school days and more days in school, etc. -
No Child Left Behind
President George W. Bush proposed this legislature on January 2, 2001. Then it went to the House of Representatives (5/23/01) and then to the U.S. Senate (6/14/01), it was signed into law on Janurary 8, 2002. This law enforced all states to develop standards for what every child should know and learn through out their school years; like in math and reading. Students in grades 3-8 were to be tested annually and those in grades 10-12 should be tested at least once to determine their progress.
