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Noah Webster
MOST IMPORTANT-- Noah Webster was the first to create and American Speller. Spellers were books that taught students syllables, pronunciation, and spelling of words in a certian language. Since the New World desired to be free from England ties completely, Webster thought America need her own speller full of American words. This book was the beginning of Webster's Dictionary which is continually referenced in schools and everyday life around the United States. Learn more about Noah Webster here! -
Northwest Land Ordinance
Settlers were able to purchase land in the undeveloped wild west. And where they settled they had a dedicated space for the public schooling of their children, and they struggled to fund them. It was to these schools that young women came from the east to teach at. -
Horace Mann
Throughout his lifetime Horace Mann was in the buisness of reforming schools and aimed to "agitate for a good cause". He rode from district to district on horse back and provided ideas to improve and standardize schools across America. -
The Progressive Reform Movement
This movement lead to the enforceent of state laws to ban child labor and also to enforce the attendance of school by appropriately aged students. It was during this time that the standard method of recited lessons, which was when students stood at the front of the class and repeated the lesson to their teacher. -
John Dewey
MOST IMPORTANTJohn Dewey was considered the "Father of Progressive Education. He believed that schools should be anchored in the teaching of the "Whole Child". This means every aspect of the student's life and mind is engaged including: physical, emotional, mental, and social. This is an important even in schools today to increase the learning of students we must continue to alter the way we engage and teach them. -
The Gary Plan
The educational system in Gary, Indiana believed that an immersion in school would lead to better results in the students. Here it was a work, study, and play method with everything from a swimming pool, sewing, car mechanics, and a zoo to teach students not only secular things but real world application. -
Intelligence Quotient
An Intelligence Quotient or IQ test was a way to measure both academic and mental growth within students. This test was often used as a predictor for how well students would do in school and in future vocations. -
Sputnik
The Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik as the worlds first sapce satellite. This caused a push for an increas in science and mathematics learning in American school systems. -
National Defense Education Act (NDEA)
Significat federal funding went to math, science, and foreign language study. Student loans and felloships were also funded by this program in a big push to encourage college education -
War on Poverty
Education was seen as a factor to eliminate poverty, so education was funded more heavily. More education directed specifically to employment meant a better chance for members of society to achieve middle class status--which in turn meant a break in the cycle of poverty. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
MOST IMPORTANT-- Brown vs. Board of Education took place in Topeka, Kansas. For over 60 years there the theory in education had been that it was "seperate but equal", when indeed it was not equal. It was then declared that there should be integration within schools and other states soon followed in their footsteps. In classrooms today all children, no matter what race, are to recieve the same, equal opportunity for education in the United States. It also brought about a civil rights movement. -
The Civil Rights Act
This act provided Civil Rights to African Americans as well as other minorities. It also banned discrimination based on sexuality and disability. It provided many more equal opportunities in American schools. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Provided over 1 billion dollars to fund education across the United States. This act was a part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty. -
Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA)
MOST IMPORTANT -- The IDEA was passed in 1975 in an effort to mainstream the education of students with disabilities. Before this act these students were isolated and not taught according to their civil rights. This law provided important preventional and transitional information to disabled students to allow them to become better functioning members of society. IDEA is so important in schools for the able students to learn compassion and other life skills from their disabled classmates. -
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
MOST IMPORTANT
This educational reform bill was created by President George W. Bush. It increased the rold of the federal government in public education and expanded the role of standardized testing in schools. Find out more here!
NCLB has greatly effected our school testing systems in the past and present. It is a way to hold schools and educators highly accountable for the preformances of their students.
