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First education laws: Massachusetts
Three laws were made in the Massachusetts Bay Colony concerning education. One required that towns having more than 50 families had to hire a teacher. This is seen as the first historical step toward government directed public education in the United States. -
Common schools
MOST: The common school movement created a free school system for all, no distinction between rich or poor. Schools were to be funded by taxes. It was pushed by Hoarce Mann, and was meant to be a place of high quality education for the diverse population of the United States.
This event is important because today, education continues to run by these ideas. We continue to have a free public school system funded by taxes.
http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1871/Common-School-Movement.html -
Population growth and immigration in the 19th century
The number of immigrants coming to the United States doubled. This caused the school population to increase as well as the number of teachers and added a lot of diversity in the classrooms. The diversity and the amount of students created different dynamics in the classroom. -
Impact of Rush, Jefferson, and Webster
These people strongly influenced education. Jefferson believed that to have a democracy people needed to be educated, tried to establish public education. Rush also believed in a free education and was an advocate for women's education. Webster wrote blue-back speller and replaced the previous British textbooks. -
Secondary school movement
This movement happened slowly. However, after the civil war, high schools started to appear in the United States. Most teens began enrolling in the schools and in year of 1900 there was more than half a million students enrolled. -
Committee of Ten
There were many competing ideas towards the curriculum that should be used in secondary school. In order to try to resolve this, the National Education Association created the Committee of Ten, a group of educators that recommended the standardization of American high school system. -
The progressive reform movement
This movement involved curricular and administrative reforms.Schools were now asked to provide basic health care and food services. Wanted child centered learning, aimed to tap into child's talent. Also a time when child labor was banned. -
The Impact of John Dewey
MOST IMPORTANT: Dewey is known as the Father of Progressive Education. He attacked education at the time and said that schools should focus on a child centered curriculum, the physical, social and mental health of the student, not a subject centered curriculum. This event is important because it is still prevalent in education today. Schools and educators are trying to focus on the child by helping them grow, succeed, and tap into individual talents.
http://www.iep.utm.edu/dewey/ -
Brown vs. board of education
MOST: Case in Supreme Court against the board of education of Kansas because African American children were rejected to attend white schools. The Supreme court ruled separate is not equal, thus ending segregation.
This is important because it ended segregation and made education equal. Also, this principle was later applied to advocate the rights of women, ethnic groups, and the disabled. US education continues to strive for equality
https://www.nps.gov/brvb/learn/historyculture/index.htm -
Sputnik and NDEA
Due to the Soviet Union launching the first satellite, Sputnik, the United States wanted to catch up in technology. NDEA was signed and gave funds to promote science and technology in educational institutions and provided over a billion dollars. Today, science is still seen as an essential and promoted subject in schools. -
The impact of the civil rights movement
Banned all aspects of discrimination, such as the workplace, public transportation, and in school. This movement successfully ended segregation in school because it ensured that schools who were segregated would lose federal funding. -
The Impact of the War on Poverty
MOST: President Johnson's plan to fight poverty and give everyone an equal chance at life. It provided federal programs, low cost college loans, head start programs, and other policies. These policies were meant to create high standards, accountability and close the achievement gap.
This event is important because it gives people in poverty an equal opportunity for a good education. This support is still needed because many live in poverty.
http://prde.upress.virginia.edu/content/WarOnPoverty -
Individuals with disabilities in education act
Act that ensures students with disablitlies are provided a free and appropriate education. Gives these students accommodations and intervention programs to ensure that they are given equal opportunities at an education. -
A nation at risk
Report that said the poor quality of schools threatened Americas future. Report given during Ronald Reagan's presidency. They blamed the schools on the falling economy in America. This created higher graduation standards, more homework, longer school days, and more discipline. -
The standards movement
MOST IMPORTANT: A set of clear and measurable academic standards that students needed to know and be able to do. This movement also produced high stakes testing and has led to other laws used today.
This event is important because it has shaped the curriculum and standards of schools. And is relevant today because schools are still trying to find the best way to educate and are using the ideas of standards as a direction.
http://www.learningfirst.org/news/standards/full.html
