-
In 1636, by vote of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the first institute for higher level education was established. The school they established was Harvard.
-
In 1642 the Massachusetts Bay School Law was passed. This required parents ensure their children know the principles of religion, as well as the capital laws of commonwealth. At this time, the purpose of education was to make good Christians and well-mannered citizens.
-
Founded by Catharine Beecher, the Hartford Female Seminary was the first major educational institution for women in the United States. This institution offered a wide range of subjects, straying away from the tradition of women only learning about how to be a housewife.
-
The first Department of Education was created in 1867, after the civil war had ended. It was created in order to collect information on school and their teachers in order to establish a new and improved school system in the States.
-
The case Tennessee v. John Scopes, or otherwise known as "The Monkey Trial," brought to attention the argument on what should be tough in the classroom. In this specific instance, the argument was whether or not evolution or creationism should be taught. This debate remains to be talked about even today.
-
The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), which was first known as the Army Alpha Test, was created by Robert Yerkes in order to test Army recruits on their intelligence. Carl Brigham later adopted the test for college admissions.
-
The Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education was a major turning point during the civil rights movement. This case, with an unanimous decision, ruled that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional.
-
After the verdict of the Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, a group of 9 black students enrolled at a high school in Little Rock Arkansas. There were still many people who disagreed with the outcome of the Supreme Court case, which included the Governor of Arkansas Orval Faubus. He called the state National Guard to prevent the students from entering, But President Eisenhower deployed federal troops to Little Rock to help the 9 students enter the school.
-
The Title IX of Educational Amendments of 1972 was made a law to protect people from discrimination based on sex. With the Title IX no one can be excluded from participating, denied benefits, or discriminated under educational programs that deal with Federal financial help.
-
The No Child Left Behind Act, signed by President George W. Bush, increased how the government held schools accountable for their academic progress. It mandates high-stakes student testing, holds school accountable for student achievements, and provides penalties for school not making adequate progress.
