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Historical Timeline

  • Separating Church and State

    Separating Church and State
    This event really helped shape public education into what it is today. It highlight the importance of education and the value it has when everyone is brought together without the conflict between church and state. Because of this separation, education became a free, common, public, tax-supported nonsectarian system that still holds true today.
  • Child Study Movement

    Child Study Movement
    G. Stanley Hall's Child Study Movement transformed the way educators viewed children and allowed educators to adjust their curriculum to meet children's individual needs. Hall believed that a child's psychological life and behaviors develop through a series of stages, providing the building blocks for the next. With Hall's passion for child development, teacher's were able to shift their focus to the child rather than the subject.
  • The Cardinal Principles Report of 1918

    The Cardinal Principles Report of 1918
    The Cardinal Principles Report was a profound event in the development of public education. With the support of the NEA, the Cardinal Principles Report of 1918 helped create more diverse programs and opportunities for high school students. This led to schools' having a differentiated curriculum that allowed students to follow their own interests and plans.
  • Brown v. Board of Education

    Brown v. Board of Education
    This case was a breakthrough for the African American people and was a very important movement for public education. It was declared by the U.S. Supreme Court that "separate but equal" was "inherently unequal." This gave African American children access to racially mixed classrooms and would help to equalize their overall education experience.
  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

    Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
    This law was a significant part in the growth and progress of public education. It ensured children with disabilities had the basic educational rights as everyone else. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) allowed individuals with disabilities to have educational services provided to them in public schools. It also proved that children with disabilities will no longer be excluded within the education system.