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Horace Mann and the Common School Movement Most Important
Horace Mann Story Horace Mann was secretary of the State Board of Education in MA in 1837 and the main force behind the Common School Movement during the 1830's. This movement pushed for a tax-funded, well-developed, state public education system. He believed that political and social stability depended on education. A national, publicly funded, quality education for all is the foundation America's current education system was build upon. -
Population Growth and Immigration
The nineteenth century was a time of massive population growth in the United States. Public schools, which had been specifically shaped for Protestant children now needed to accommodate large amounts of Catholic and Jewish immigrants. Issues arose when parents of these children argued that, as equal tax payers, they deserved to have a place their children could attend school not centered around the Protestant faith. This sparked the separation of church and state in our public education system. -
Secondary School Movement and Compulsory Attendance
The Compulsory Attendance Act of 1852, passed by the state of Massachusetts was the first law citing mandatory attendance of certain school aged children. This compulsory attendance continued to grow, and by 1918, every state required students to complete elementary school, many requiring schooling into the secondary school years. This was a crucial turning point because it required that kids stay in school that otherwise may have been entered the workforce missing out on an education. -
Committee of Ten Most Important
The Traditional High School This committee was composed mostly of educators and established curriculum standardization for public high-school students who intended to go to college. They concluded that a quality and comprehensive liberal education was suitable for all students regardless of their college prospects. Today students are all taught to the best of their individual ability thanks to the standards set by the committee. -
The Impact of John Dewey
John Dewey helped establish progressive education as a theory for educating the public. He believed schools should incorporate interaction and create environments for learning. He was also interested in the community and democracy aspect, educating so that all may share in a common life. This idea of educating all people not just school aged is still important in today's world where immigrants may come to our nation wanting or needing additional schooling to be contributing members of society. -
The Impact of World War II
One immediate effect of WWII was a decrease in students as many entered the workforce to fill the shoes of those who left for war. Post war, the Government gave support for the education of returning veterans by providing the G.I. Bill which was also progressively race-neutral. This bill is still an important part of the education system today and a great incentive for military service. -
Brown vs. Board of Education Most Important
Timeline of School Integration In this milestone case for school integration a unanimous decision overturned Plessy and declared separate schools "inherently unequal". Change took time, but by 1955, the Supreme Court ordered that all schools be desegregated. This moment ended legal racial discrimination in public schools and allowed black students equal rights and resources. -
Sputnik and National Defense Education Act
Influenced by the Soviet launch of Sputnik, and fearing that education in the USSR was superior to that in the United States, Congress passed the National Defense Education Act to bring U.S. schools up to speed. Its measures included providing the country with defense oriented personnel, and also financial assistance for the thousands of students who would be enrolling at colleges and universities in the 1960's.
This important act spread the development of science and technology in the U.S. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Signed by President Lyndon Johnson the ESEA established new grants for low-income school districts, federal grants for text and library books, created special education centers, and even, provided scholarships to low-income college students. In essence provided a wealth of federal grants to state educational districts, allowing improved quality of education. Federal funding, particularly in low income school districts is very important today in helping to keep education equal. -
War On Poverty
Presidents Kennedy and Johnson allocated massive amounts of funding to breaking the cycle of poverty. Education was one of the main areas receiving these resources. Programs such as Head Start, Job Corps, and subsidized school lunches, began during this time. This is important because students of lower socioeconomic classes were able to get the help they needed to remain on an equal playing field as other students, and is still a very important part of the school system. -
Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act
History of IDEACongress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, in 1975, ensuring that handicapped children be educated to the best of their ability and have individualized education plans written to fit their specific needs. As a result of this most important act, the majority of special needs children are now educated in their local schools, in regular classrooms, with their non-disabled peers. -
School Choice Movement
School choice programs allowed parents more control over their child's education and more choice in the learning environment. Parents were no longer forced to have their children attend the nearest public school if they found it unfit. Charter schools and Vouchers were some of the options parents could take advantage of. This is an great way to inspire excellence in the schools, and gives parents and students the option to find the right fit for them. -
A Nation at Risk Report Most Important
A Nation At Risk Report A Nation at Risk declared that the public school system had failed miserably at educating America's children. In response, school reform movements where made and states passed laws requiring higher standards and expectations for students. Curriculum was focused on math and science while extra-curricula activities funding was cut. This was unfortunate as many subjects where cast as "worthless". -
Growth of Standardized Tests
The educational focus during nineties was directed at school reform. Goals 2000, an effort by the federal government to set standards for American education, aimed to restructure schools to meet diverse population needs and world competition in terms of technology. Focusing on educators and outcome-based education, this has given a sharp rise in the amount of standardized tests students are expected to take, with the numbers still rising today. -
No Child Left Behind
NCLB supports standards-based education reform, with the belief that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals can improve individual outcomes. It requires each state develops its own standards in basic skills. To receive federal school funding, states must give these assessments to students at select grade levels. This emphasis on annual testing, and annual academic progress, increases the number of tests students take, and has and resulted in many states lowering standards.
