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First Educational Laws
In Mass. in 1642 the first law regarding education was created. It required that parents or trademasters were providing a proper education to their students. If they were found to be failing in that regard, the student would be passed along to someone who would fulfill that duty. Although not specifically mentioned, the idea of compulsory attendance for schooling was implied. -
Thomas Jefferson and Education
Thomas Jefferson believed that an education was essential to having a working democracy. He created a bill that would mandate three years of free and public education to white American children. Advancement in schooling was build on a meritorious system of acheivement instead of on socioeconomic status. This event is one of the MOST IMPORTANT as it created competition and advancement opportunities. -
Webster's Blue Backed Speller
Noah Webster created a speller that became the "American Textbook". Webster believed that in order to reach a sense of national identity after the Revolutionary War that America needed to create a langauge and a culture that was all their own. His Blue Backed Speller helped out with that idea, and began to give Americans a sense of having a national identity. -
The Common School Movement
The Common School Movement was created by Horace Mann, who was the first Secretary of Education. Mann wanted to create a school system that was free, public, high-quality, and paid no regard to social status of its stuents. Mann wanted education to be a great equalizer, and Common Schools were how he hoped to acheive that goal. People opposed the idea of the Common School, because Mann wanted the funds for the school to be taxed from the public. People did not agree with taxation for education. -
The Progressive Reform Movement
The Progressive Reform Movement was what first began to require complusory attendance for all schools in the country. School during this time period aimed to change the practice of school itself. School curriculums were targeted to meet the talents of all kinds of students, not just those who learned in typical manners. The Gary Plan was a perfect example of how this movement impacted schooling. -
The Committee of Ten
The committee was formed in order to begin to standardize curriculum and present uniform education to all individuals. There were seven cardinal principles that the committe put forward wich were; health, command of fundamental academic skills, worthy home membership, vocational preparation, citizenship, worthwhile use of leisure time, and ethical character. Along with curricular areas, these principles were applied to students' education -
The G.I. Bill
During WWII, enrollment in elementary, secondary, and college level schools dropped considerably. People were consumed in the war efforts, whether they were out fighting or back at home. When the war ended and the soldiers returned home, many did not have the means to contunue their education. The G.I. bill provided a way for all these men to receive a higher education and further their prospects in life. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
The Supreme Court ruled thatseperate was not equal, and that segregation was not a beneficial part of education. The process to desegregation was not a simple one, and took over a decade to fully be realized, but this even is one of the MOST IMPORTANT in educational history, because it made schooling more accessible to more people and paved the way for the Civil Rights movement. -
Sputnik and NDEA
With the launch of Sputnik in 1957, American suspicions that they were losing the Cold War seemed to be cemented. A sense of needing to compete and better American teachers, engineers, and students arose, which changed the way the school systems were run. Focus was put more heavily on mathematics and science in order to create students who could but the U.S. ahead of the rest of the world. -
The Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was an important moment in the history of education as it was what finally hastened the pace of desegregation in the American school system. Before the act was passed, Brown vs. the Board of Education had already been ruled on, but there was not enough funding to make the decision a reality. With the passing of the Civil Rights Act, federal funding to desegrate schools was increased dramatically. -
The War on Poverty
Lindon B. Johnson declared a war on poverty, and he believed that proper education would play a large factor in our success in that "war". Over a quarter of the popluation was living in poverty, and as such, crime rates were steadily rising. Johnson passed federal legislation to fund inner city schools, as well as vocational programs and other programs such as Head Start. It was believed that as the impoverished became educated and were given more opportunities, they would rise from poverty. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
This act was the crown jewel of the War on Poverty. Over one billion dollars of federal funds were put into the educational system. Of those one billion dollars, over 80% were invested into Title I schools in efforts to improve the standard of learning in low income areas. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
IDEAis on the the MOST IMPORTANT events in my opinion. Through IDEA individuals who were mentally or physically disabled were finally able to receive the education that they deserved. People with diabilities were realized to have immense potential and abilities, and were finally able to show that they had important things to offer the community. Graduation numbers increased, and many individuals with special needs were able to have jobs and further education beyond high school. -
A Nation at Risk Report
The Nation at Risk Report was one of the MOST IMPORTANT events in the history of American education, because it totally aimed to reform and improve the current school system. Higher graduation requirements were implemented as well as a standardized curriculum, longer school days and years, and required higher levels of certification for educators. This report steered education to the form it is in today. -
No Child Left Behind
The No Child Left Behind Actis one of the MOST IMPORTANT events because it is the most sweeping educational reform movements in the history of American education. This act centralized on educational outcomes and was the culmination of the Standards Movement. Testing results became a high stakes product for schools. If schools failed to show Adequate Yearly Progress for two years in a row, they would be penalized. NCLB helped elementary test scores to improve, but they declined again aroud 8th grade.
