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Founding of Jamestown
Jamestown was the first settlement in America when the Europeans came to conquer America. This is where America begins, and thus where American education begins. -
The First "Free School" opens in Virginia
Although homeschooling and tutoring are more common in the southern colonies. Although this may not seem as a “big step”, it is an important one. Like most opportunities you are faced with in life, you will be hesitant and slow to accept changing your style. Without this step in history we would still be learning at our own pace, sometimes with no push for more knowledge. This step is the first major step towards our education we have today. -
Harvard College Opens
Harvard College, the first higher education institution in what is now the United States, is established in Newtowne, (now Cambridge) Massachusetts. Harvard College being established is an extraordinary step for education. Without the offer of higher education, students would grow up to have the same knowledge level, and not a lot of knowledge in general. One after one higher education placements will start to become established after this. -
The Massachusetts Law of 1647, also known as the Old Deluder Satan Act, is passed.
It decrees that every town of at least 50 families hire a schoolmaster who would teach the town's children to read and write and that all towns of at least 100 families should have a Latin grammar school master who will prepare students to attend Harvard College. This is important because without this act being passed some people would have to drive or walk far to get to their school causing more drop outs and more people to just say, “no. I do not need that.” -
Noah Webster Creats the First American Spelling Book
Because of his dissatisfaction with English textbooks of the day, Noah Webster writes A Grammatical Institute of the English Language, consisting of three volumes: a spelling book, a grammar book, and a reader. This is important because it will help you choose the most appropriate words so that your writing is clear, interesting and reads well, use words correctly, spell words correctly, and build your vocabulary. Students all across America have and will continue to use this. -
First Academy for Girls Opens in Philadelphia
Soon after the opening of this academy, many other all girl academies opened allowing more and more ladies to receive an education. These academies were often referred as “adventure” schools and were seen more as a camp rather than an institute, steadily increasing interests in women’s education. -
Boston English High School Opens
Boston English High School has a tremendous effect on the Education System today. Considering it was the first public high school, it has greatly shaped our schooling today. Although we do not follow the same structure as they might have in the past, it has still gave us a base to go off of for public school everywhere. -
Public School Law
The state of Massachusetts passes a law requiring towns of more than 500 families to have a public high school open to all students. This 1827 event was monumental to those all over Massachusetts. With this law, all those in a bigger community could attend school, not just those who could afford private schooling. This is an important event in our history because Massachusetts really started the trail which will soon lead most states to follow. They set up the base for furthering education. -
Boston Public Library
The Boston Public Library, still open today, has allowed multiple people to have a huge variety to thousands of books. This library has been a great resource for students and teachers considering as the library gets older, the more books are put into the library. Since it has more books, it allows people to become more educated. -
National Teachers Association
The National Teachers Association was founded "to elevate the character and advance the interest of the teaching profession, and to promote the cause of popular education in the United States." The NEA has come a long way since its beginning in 1857. The NEA has a lot of good benefits for its various members and is helping to make the education system better for children. -
Dep. of Education is Created
They were created to help states establish better and more effective school systems. The reason this is significant is because the Department of Education has a large hand in rules that schools need to follow and are in charge of determining what schools break those rules. -
The SESH is founded
The Society to Encourage Studies at Home is founded in Boston by Anna Eliot Ticknor, daughter of Harvard professor George Ticknor. It's purpose is to allow women the opportunity for study and enlightenment and becomes the first correspondence school in the United States. Before this point it was hard for women to get a good education. When you think about it now women and men can get the same opportunities, therefore making the education field equal. -
Joliet Junior College Opens
This was the first public community college in the U.S. and allowed people to receive higher education for a lower price. Though you cannot earn a 4-year degree at a community college, you can earn a 2-year degree. This was still better than what was offered before, with the only option for higher education being college. -
First Handheld Caculator was Created
Texas Instruments created their first hand-held calculator, the TI-2500 Datamath. Their calculators are still used in schools today and are what mostly used on the SAT and in math classes. Texas Instruments also became an industry leader in the world of electronics. You can find TI calculators in just about every school in the US because, when compared to the cost of others, they are cheaper and work just as well, if not better. -
The NCLB Act is Passed by Congress
The controversial No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is approved by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002. The law, which reauthorizes the ESEA of 1965 and replaces the Bilingual Education Act of 1968, mandates high-stakes student testing, holds schools accountable for student achievement levels, and provides penalties for schools that do not make adequate yearly progress toward meeting the goals of NCLB.