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Harvard College Established
Harvard College was the first higher education institution established in the United States. It was established by vote of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. -
Thomas Jefferson's "A Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge"
MOST IMPORTANT. Jefferson proposed Bill 79 which would establish schools every 5-6 square miles and give the general population access to basic education. The bill was moderated and didn't pass until 1796, but Jefferson's idea that everyone should be able to make informed decisions by getting a general education has stuck around. Today it is mandatory for children to go to school to get an education. Link text -
First Public High School
The first high school, Boston English High School, is established. This secondary school was created to be another means of education for those students who were not going onto Harvard. -
Horace Mann Becomes Secretary of Massachusetts State Board of Education
MOST IMPORTANT. Horace Mann was a huge supporter of public schooling. He worked tirelessly for funding for schools as well as more training for teachers. His beliefs caught the attention of the nation, and we have a more universal education today because of his efforts. Link text -
Mandatory Schooling
Massachusetts enacted the first mandatory schooling law at this time which said children between eight and fourteen must attend at least 3 months of school every year. It was sporadically enforced, however, and all states didn't have this law until 1918. -
Department of Education Created
The creative of TheDepartment of Education was signed into law by President Andrew Johnson as an agency that would collect information on schools and would teach states how to have effective school systems. -
John Dewey publishes Democracy and Education
Dewey's views on education helped advance the progressive education movement which aimed to make schools more effective agents of democracy. This was a very hands-on learning style. -
Brown v. Board of Education
MOST IMPORTANT. The court announces its decision by ruling that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." This ruling overthrew the Plessy v. Ferguson case and was a combination of five cases from different parts of the country. This was a great first step toward equality in U.S. education. Today we have integrated schools because of these cases. Link text -
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act
MOST IMPORTANT. This was part of Lyndon B. Johnson's "War on Poverty." It provided federal funds to impoverished schools and students, and resulted in educational programs such as Title I. This money let schools grow and gain more programs. This law is still going today and has been reauthorized many times. Link text -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
This Act required schools receiving federal funds to provide special education services to disabled children. Before this students with special needs didn't receive appropriate services and were sometimes excluded from schools altogether. -
A Nation At Risk
This was a publication that raised a lot of fear and suspicion about the effectiveness of American Education. Claimed that the schools were failing and sparked a lot of reform efforts. -
Columbine High School
This was one of the worst mass shootings is U.S. history as well as one of the deadliest episodes of school violence. Twelve students and one teacher were killed. Schools tighten safety procedures, but school shootings continue to occur at an alarming rate. -
No Child Left Behind
MOST IMPORTANT. NCLB scaled up the role of the federal government in making sure schools were being held accountable for student results. Passed by President Bush, it was voted in unanimously and introduced things like standardized testing. The goal was to boost the performances of kids who were trailing behind. There's more accountability for the schools now and more testing. Link text -
Race to the Top
RTTT is a competitive grant from the federal government that was created to reward innovation and reforms. Schools lost a lot of money during the recession, so this was a way for them to get money back by satisfying certain educational policies. -
Every Student Succeeds Act
The NCLB Act had some problems and schools were struggling to keep up with its demands, so it was reformed into the ESSA. This puts less pressure on the schools with testing, but still has the goal of holding all students to high academic standards. For this act each school submits their own plan.
