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We are approaching a century since this test was created and it has had such a huge impact on so many people in the years. For some, it has been the key to a successful future, but for many, it has perpetuated inequity. For more information about how the SAT has changed over the years, check out this website. -
The publishing of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs was a key event because educators still reference this idea, especially in recent years with an increased shift toward trauma-informed care. For more information about Maslow's hierarchy, visit this website. -
The provision of school lunch represents a shift in attitude toward schools being about more than the acquisition of academic knowledge and an increased focus on the whole child. Visit this website for more information about the history of school lunch. -
The publication of Ralph Tyler's "Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction" provided a framework for curriculum and assessment design that still informs our practices today. For a brief summary of the Tyler Rationale, check out [this YouTube video on YouTube.(]https://youtu.be/Obe0h6YQRMA) -
This court case established the standard that "separate-but-equal" can never be equal, setting a course toward desegregation in schools "with all deliberate speed" and providing motivation and encouragement for an increasingly active civil rights movement. For more information about this turning point in American history, please visit this website. -
Bloom's Taxonomy continues to be a topic of conversation among educators as we strive to develop the creativity and critical thinking skills that are needed to succeed in today's economy. For more information about this topic, check out this website. -
Signed by President Johnson as part of his "War on Poverty," this act set aside money for schools serving children in poverty (Title I) and decrease the achievement gap. For more information, please visit this website. -
This testing has continued to used to track progress over time and across states. Test performance data is referred to as "The Nation's Report Card," ranking students as either below basic, basic, proficient, or advanced. Since it is taken throughout the country, it is able to provide valuable insight into trends in educational performance. For more information, please visit the Nation's Report Card website. -
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) opened the door to education to many students with disabilities who had been previously excluded from school and resulted in the creation of a massive special education system in school districts across our country that exists to this day. Visit here for a summary of IDEA. -
The No Child Left Behind Act required schools to meet certain requirements on state testing (i.e. "meet AYP") among specific disaggregated groups of students including students with IEPs, students with limited English proficiency, races/ethnicities, and socioeconomic status. Schools that failed to meet AYP would face specific and sometimes severe consequences. For a more detailed overview, please visit https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/no-child-left-behind-an-overview/2015/04 -
The creation of Teachers Pay Teachers represented a shift in where teachers obtained their materials allowing them to become content creators and market their work online. Educators around the world can now download and print materials created by other educators and read reviews of the material written by individuals who had used the products, For more information about Teachers Pay Teachers, please visit the Teachers Pay Teachers blog. -
Hattie's comprehensive metanalysis of educational strategies provided a framework for teachers to incorporate "evidence-based strategies" into their instruction. Soon, these strategies, as rated by effect size, were required for teachers to select from and implement in their classrooms as a component of their teacher growth plans. For more information, visit John Hattie's website. -
Similar to Hattie's strategies, teachers were encouraged to make use of Lemov's "Teach Like a Champion" strategies in their classroom as part of teacher growth plans, greatly shaping the culture of the classrooms in which they were implemented. For more information on the strategies, visit the Teach Like a Champion website and
the 1st edition of the book on Amazon. -
The ESSA was a follow-up to the NCLB Act. Signed by President Obama, this act expanded access to pre-K, required states to adopt clear and rigorous academic standards, and provided greater flexibility for states in handling struggling schools relative to the NCLB requirements. For more information, please visit this overview. -
The Covid-19 pandemic has transformed many aspects of school, from masking to quarantines to the rapid adoption of virtual instruction. While many of the emergency measures developed for the pandemic have been relaxed or removed, certain aspects such as online classroom management and virtual school options appear to be here to stay.
Visit this report on the effects of the pandemic on learning to learn more.