History of Education

  • Massachusets Act of 1647

    Required towns of 50 or more families to hire a schoolmaster to teach kids to read and write. Towns with 100 or more families had to hire a grammar schoolmaster as well.
  • Revolutionary War Ends

    The end of the Revolutionary War changed the way American education was. It went from English schooling, to a more colonial type schooling and became more Americanized.
  • Oberlin Collegiate Institute Opens

    Oberlin Collegiate Institute was the first college to accept both men and women.
  • Free Public Education

    By the year 1860 all states were required to offer free public elementary schools.
  • Second School Opened in Colorado

    The first school in Jefferson County and the second school in Colorado opened in Golden on January 9, 1860. It stood at around today's 1304 Washington Avenue and was a rented log cabin, with school taught by Thomas Daughterty, with 18 students, financed through tuition and subscription. Its second term was taught by Miss M.F. Manly. George West became the first superintendent of Jefferson County schools.
  • Morrill Land Grant Act

    The US provided grants of land to the states to establish colleges specializing in agriculture and mechanic arts.
  • Union and County High Schools

    Two high schools were put in place, Union high schools made high school optional for students in their district, and County high schools required all students in the district to attend high school.
  • Colorado Department of Education Founded

    The CDE oversees all of Colorado's pre-K through 12th grade public school systems, and adult literacy programs.
  • Colorado State Board of Education

    The first Colorado State Board of Education was elected in November 1950. Mrs. Nettie S. Freed was named as the first Commissioner of Education.
  • Brown vs. Board of Education

    A Supreme Court case that established that separate public schools for blacks (segregation of public schools) was unconstitutional.
  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act

    The ESEA emphasizes equal access to education, set high standards for academic performance. It also implemented many education programs administered by the state.
  • Individualized Education Plans Implemented

    IEPs allow students with any type of disability to have equal opportunity to get the same education as every other student.
  • Colorado State Constitution Amendment

    Provided an elected state board of education who could set up qualifications for and select a Commissioner of Education and a professional staff for the Department of Education.
  • First Charter School Opened

    In 1993 the Charter Law was enacted and it allowed for charter schools in Colorado, the first one was built in Castle Rock .
  • Public School Finance Act

    Was passed by the CDE because public schools said they did not have enough funding to provide equal education to everyone. The CDE passed the act which guaranteed funding for all public school districts, and later proved more funding for at risk students.
  • No Child Left Behind Act

    The NCLB act was the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, it implemented standardized testing to test the accountability of teachers.
  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvment Act

    The IDEA is a federal law that provides partial funding to states to educate students receiving special education services.
  • CAP4K

    Restructured the state’s education system, with the goal of aligning the learning standards from preschool through high school, and to help kids benefit more from their learning experience.
  • Evaluation

    State model of evaluation for teachers and principals is piloted.
  • TCAP

    Transitional Colorado Assessment Program, put in place to show the changes in the state academic content standards and to see if the teachers were doing their job right, it eventually led to PARCC.