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Boston Latin School
The first public school in the American colonies opens. -
"Free School"
The first "free school" in Virginia opens. However, education in the Southern colonies is more typically provided at home by parents or tutors. -
Harvard
Harvard College has its beginnings in a seminary founded by the Great and General Court of Massachusetts at New Towne. -
Hartford Public High School
Hartford Public High School opens in Hartford Connecticut. It is the second oldest secondary school in the United States. -
Compulsory Education Law
Massachusetts Bay Colony passes the Compulsory Education Law, requiring parents to teach their children to read. -
The Massachusetts Law of 1647
Massachusetts Bay Colony becomes the first to require towns of at least 50 households to hire a teacher to educate the town’s children. Towns of 100 families should build public elementary schools. -
Evening Schools
An evening school for working children is established in New Amsterdam, now known as New York City. -
College of William and Mary
The College of William and Mary is established in Virginia. It is the second college to open in colonial America and has the distinction of being Thomas Jefferson's college. -
The First Public Library
The first publicly supported library in the U.S. is established in Charles Town, South Carolina. -
Quaker School
Quaker School for black students established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. -
The Ursuline Academy of New Orleans
The Ursuline Academy of New Orleans was founded. A Catholic school for girls sponsored by Sisters of the Order of Saint Ursula, it is the oldest continuously operating school for girls and the oldest Catholic school in the United States. -
The First "English Academy" in Philadelphia
Benjamin Franklin helps to establish the first "English Academy" in Philadelphia with a curriculum that is both classical and modern, including such courses as history, geography, navigation, surveying, and modern as well as classical languages. This academy ultimately becomes the University of Pennsylvania. -
St. Matthew Lutheran School
St. Matthew Lutheran School, one of the first Lutheran "parish schools" in North America, is founded in New York City by Henry Melchior Muhlenberg. -
The University of Georgia
The University of Georgia becomes "America's first state-chartered university." -
The Young Ladies Academy
The Young Ladies Academy opens in Philadelphia and becomes the first academy for girls in the original 13 colonies/states. -
Free Public Education for Poor Families
Pennsylvania State Constitution calls for free public education for poor families. Wealthy families are expected to pay for their children’s schooling. -
The New York Public School Society
The New York Public School Society is formed by wealthy businessmen to provide education for poor children. Schools use the “Lancasterian” model, in which one “master” teaches hundreds of students in a single room. -
The Connecticut Asylum at Hartford
The Connecticut Asylum at Hartford for the Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons opens. It is the first permanent school for the deaf in the U.S. -
Boston's English High School
Boston’s English High School opens with 102 students. The school is the first tuition-free public high school to teach no language but English. -
Hartford Female Seminary
Catherine Beecher founds the Hartford Female Seminary, a private school for girls in Hartford, Connecticut. -
Public High Schools
The state of Massachusetts passes a law requiring towns of more than 500 families to have a public high school open to all students. -
The New England Asylum for the Blind
The New England Asylum for the Blind, now the Perkins School for the Blind, opens in Massachusetts, becoming the first school in the U.S. for children with visual disabilities. -
The First Board of Education
Massachusetts establishes a board of education, naming former educational reformer, Horace Mann, as the first secretary of the Board. -
The African Institute
The African Institute (later called the Institute for Colored Youth) opens in Cheyney, Pennsylvania. Now called Cheyney University, it the oldest institution of higher learning for African Americans. -
Bilingual Education
Ohio becomes the first state to adopt a bilingual education law, allowing for German-English instruction at parents’ requests. -
Aid for Catholic Schools
Bishop John Hughes asks for state aid for Catholic schools. -
Handwriting
Platt Rogers Spencer develops the first widely used handwriting teaching system in schools, called Spencerian penmanship. -
First School for Children with Disabilities
The first school for children with mental disabilities opens in Massachusetts. -
The New York State Asylum
The New York State Asylum for Idiots opens. -
School Attendance Law
Massachusetts enacts the first compulsory school attendance law in the U.S. -
School Lunch Program
The Children’s Aid Society of New York implements the first school lunch program. -
Pennsylvania Training School for Feeble-Minded Children
Pennsylvania begins funding the Pennsylvania Training School for Feeble-Minded Children, a private school for children with intellectual disabilities. -
The Boston Public Library
The Boston Public Library opens to the public. It is the first "free municipal library" in the U.S. -
Kindergarten
The first kindergarten in the U.S. is started in Watertown, Wisconsin, founded by Margarethe Schurz. -
The National Teachers Association
The National Teachers Association (now the National Education Association) is founded by forty-three educators in Philadelphia -
The Department of Education
The Department of Education was created in order to help states establish effective school systems. -
The Fourteenth Amendment
In spite of opposition by southern states, the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified and becomes law. It guarantees privileges of citizenship including due process and equal protection under the law including the right to vote for freed male slaves. -
First Public Day School for the Deaf
Boston creates the first public day school for the deaf. -
The Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act is passed, banning segregation in all public accommodations. -
The Association of American Universities
The Association of American Universities was founded to promote higher standards and put U.S. universities on an equal footing with their European counterparts. -
The First Community College
Joliet Junior College, in Joliet, Illinois, opens. It is the first public community college in the U.S. -
The Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls
Mary McLeod Bethune, an African American educator, founds the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls in Daytona Beach, Florida. -
Montessori School
The first Montessori school in the U.S. opens in Tarrytown, New York. -
AFT and AERA
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) was founded. So was the American Educational Research Association (AERA). -
SAT
The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) was first administered. It was based on the Army Alpha test. -
Jean Piaget - The Child's Conception of the World
Jean Piaget's The Child's Conception of the World is published. His theory of cognitive development becomes an important influence in American developmental psychology and education. -
Alvarez vs. the Board of Trustees of the Lemon Grove (California) School District
Alvarez vs. the Board of Trustees of the Lemon Grove (California) School District becomes the first successful school desegregation court case in the United States, as the local court forbids the school district from placing Mexican-American children in a separate "Americanization" school. -
Mendez vs. Westminster and the California Board of Education
In the landmark court case of Mendez vs. Westminster and the California Board of Education, the U. S. District Court in Los Angeles rules that educating children of Mexican descent in separate facilities is unconstitutional, thus prohibiting segregation in California schools -
The National School Lunch Act
Recognizing "the need for a permanent legislative basis for a school lunch program," the 79th Congress approves the National School Lunch Act. -
Everson v. Board of Education
In the case of Everson v. Board of Education, the U.S. Supreme Court rules by a 5-4 vote that a New Jersey law which allowed reimbursements of transportation costs to parents of children who rode public transportation to school, even if their children attended Catholic schools, did NOT violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. -
McCollum v. Board of Education
In the case of McCollum v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court rules that schools cannot allow "released time" during the school day which allows students to participate in religious education in their public school classrooms. -
Brown v. Board of Education
On May 17th, the U.S. Supreme Court announces its decision in the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, ruling that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal," thus overturning its previous ruling in the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson. Brown v. Board of Education is actually a combination of five cases from different parts of the country. It is a historic first step in the long and still unfinished journey toward equality in U.S. education. -
The Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act becomes law. It prohibits discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion or national origin. -
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is passed on April 9. Part of Lyndon Johnson's "War on Poverty," it provides federal funds to help low-income students, which results in the initiation of educational programs such as Title I and bilingual education. -
The Higher Education Act
The Higher Education Act is signed at Southwest Texas State College. It increases federal aid to higher education and provides for scholarships, student loans, and establishes a National Teachers Corps. -
Regional Educational Laboratories
A network of 10 Regional Educational Laboratories (REL) are created under ESEA to develop and disseminate – in cooperation with schools, state education agencies and research universities – ideas and programs for improving educational practices throughout the country. -
The Comer Proces
The Comer Process, a comprehensive school reform strategy, is created by Dr. James Comer at Yale University and managed by Yale's School Development Program. It targets grades K-12 with an emphasis on mobilizing the entire community of adult caretakers to support students’ holistic development to bring about academic success. -
Title VII
The Bilingual Education Act, also know as Title VII, becomes law. -
Diana v. California State Board
The case of Diana v. California State Board results in new laws requiring that children referred for possible special education placement be tested in their primary language. -
PARC v. Pennsylvania
In the case of Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (PARC) v. Pennsylvania, the federal court rules that students with mental retardation are entitled to a free public education. -
The Indian Education Act
The Indian Education Act becomes law and establishes "a comprehensive approach to meeting the unique needs of American Indian and Alaska Native students" -
Mills v. the Board of Education of Washington, D.C.
The case of Mills v. the Board of Education of Washington, D.C. extends the PARC v. Pennsylvania ruling to other students with disabilities and requires the provision of "adequate alternative educational services suited to the child's needs, which may include special education . . ." Other similar cases follow. -
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 becomes law. Though many people associate this law only with girl's and women's participation in sports, Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in all aspects of education. -
The Rehabilitation Act - Section 504
The Rehabilitation Act becomes law. Section 504 of this act guarantees civil rights for people with disabilities in the context of federally funded institutions and requires accommodations in schools including participation in programs and activities as well as access to buildings. -
Case of Lau v. Nichols
In the Case of Lau v. Nichols, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that the failure of the San Francisco School District to provide English language instruction to Chinese-American students with limited English proficiency (LEP) is a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Though the case does not require a specific approach to teaching LEP students, it does require school districts to provide equal opportunities for all students, including those who do not speak English. -
The Equal Educational Opportunities Act
The Equal Educational Opportunities Act is passed. It prohibits discrimination and requires schools to take action to overcome barriers which prevent equal protection. -
The Education of All Handicapped Children Act
The Education of All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142) becomes federal law. It requires that a free, appropriate public education, suited to the student's individual needs, and offered in the least restrictive setting be provided for all "handicapped" children. -
The U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education is created by combining offices of several federal agencies. Its original mission is to guarantee equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation. -
The National Commission on Excellence in Education
The National Commission on Excellence in Education is created by Terrence Bell, President Ronald Reagan's Secretary of Education, to examine the quality of education in the U.S. due to "the widespread public perception that something is seriously remiss in our educational system". -
A Nation at Risk
A Nation at Risk, a report by the Education Department’s National Commission on Excellence in Education, warns of a "rising tide of mediocrity" in American schools "that threatens our very future as a Nation." A number of other critiques of the country's educational system were also released around this time. -
High Schools That Work
High Schools That Work, a school reform model targeting grades 9-12, is created by the Southern Regional Education Board in Atlanta, Georgia. It is geared towards increasing the achievement of all students with special emphasis on career-bound students by blending the content of traditional college prep studies with quality vocational and technical studies. -
Choice Laws
Minnesota is one of the first states to pass public school choice laws, giving students the choice of attending any public school in the state. Previously, students were required to attend schools in their neighborhood and/or district. -
National Education Summit
President George H. Bush joins forces with Bill Clinton, then Governor of Arkansas, to hold the very first National Education Summit in Charlottesville, Virginia for the country's 50 governors with the intention of establishing education goals for the nation. -
National Education Goals
National Education Goals are announced by the President and adopted by the Governors. -
The National Education Goals Panel
The National Education Goals Panel is created by President Bush and the states' governors to assess and report on state and national progress towards achieving the National Education Goals. The panel is composed of eight governors, four state legislators, four members of the U.S. Congress and two members appointed by the President. -
IDEA
Public Law 101-476, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), renames and amends Public Law 94-142. In addition to changing terminology from handicap to disability, it mandates transition services and adds autism and traumatic brain injury to the eligibility list. -
The First Charter School
The first charter school – a privately operated public school – opened in Minnesota. Charters are typically run by community leaders, parents, teachers or other groups under a charter agreement with the school district, state, or university. -
Success for All
Success for All, a school reform model for grades pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, is developed by Robert Slavin, Nancy Madden, and a team of developers from Johns Hopkins University geared to insure that all children learn to read, acquire basic skills in other subjects areas, and build problem solving and critical thinking skills. -
“Challenge to the Nation”
Ambassador Walter H. Annenberg announces the Annenberg Foundation's “Challenge to the Nation” with a $500 million grant to improve public schools. It was the largest single gift ever made to public education. The Challenge generated more than $600 million in matching grants from private and public sources and spent $1.1 billion on initiatives on 18 locally designed projects that targeted 2,400 public schools. -
Statewide Testing
The Massachusetts Education Reform Act requires a common curriculum and statewide tests (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System). As has often been the case, other states follow Massachusetts' lead and implement similar, high-stakes testing programs. -
Goal 2000
Goals 2000: Educate America Act is signed by President Clinton, supporting states to develop standards for what every child should learn and achieve. The act also provides the necessary resources to states and communities so that all students reach those standards, appropriating $400 million in 1994. -
Improving America's Schools Act
Improving America's Schools Act, a reauthorization of the 1965 ESEA, is passed. In conjunction with Goals 2000, it provides additional funding to improve the way education is delivered, upgrade instructional and professional development to align with high standards, strengthen accountability and promote the coordination of resources to improve education for all children. -
Knowledge is Power Program
Teachers Dave Levin and Mike Feinberg launch their Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) for fifth graders in a public school in inner city Houston, Texas. The following year, Feinberg's KIPP Academy in Houston becomes a charter school and Levin establishes KIPP Academy New York in the South Bronx. -
State of the Union
In his State of the Union address, President Clinton urges states to take more action and responsibility by challenging them to adopt high national standards and test all fourth graders in reading and all eighth graders in math by 1999 to be sure the standards are met. -
No Child Left Behind Act
No Child Left Behind Act is signed by President George Bush and calls for greater accountability of student performance by requiring states to issue annual report cards on school performance and statewide results. Among other provisions it also promotes stronger reading programs and pushes for improved teacher quality. -
National Education Goals Panel is closed
National Education Goals Panel is closed. It was established in 1990 as an outgrowth of the first National Education Summit that identified six goals (later expanded to eight) to be reached by 2000. Many of the goals were not attained. -
IDEA 2004
H.R. 1350, The Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act (IDEA 2004), reauthorizes and modifies IDEA. Changes include modifications in the IEP process and procedural safeguards, increased authority for school personnel in special education placement decisions, and alignment of IDEA with the No Child Left Behind Act. -
The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009
The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 provides more than 90-billion dollars for education, nearly half of which goes to local school districts to prevent layoffs and for school modernization and repair. It includes the Race to the Top initiative, a 4.35-billion-dollar program designed to induce reform in K-12 education. -
Common Core
The Common Core State Standards Initiative, "a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers," is launched. It is expected that many, perhaps most, states will adopt them -
Withdraw from Common Core
On March 24, Indiana Governor Mike Pence signs legislation withdrawing the state from the Core Standards. Indiana becomes the first state to do so. However, aspects of the Common Core may still be included in Indiana's "new" standards. -
Demographic Milestone
As schools open this fall, a demographic milestone is reached: minority students enrolled in K-12 public school classrooms outnumber non-Hispanic Caucasians. -
Every Student Succeeds Act
On December 9, the U.S. Senate votes 85-12 to approve the Every Student Succeeds Act, and President Obama signs it into law on December 10. This latest version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) replaces No Child Left Behind and allows more state control in judging school quality.