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Northwest Land Ordinance of 1785
The Northwest Land Ordinance of 1785 designated specific parts of lands for specific purposes, such as planning, selling and surveying townships in the western frontier. -
Horace Mann
MOST IMPORTANT
Horace Mann was appointed secretary of the newly formed board of education in Massachusetts. He became one of the most important people for education.
As secretary for the board of education, Mann traveled to all of the public schools in Massachusetts in order to evaluate how the schools were doing and in which areas the schools could improve. He even traveled to Europe in order to analyze how well their school systems were.
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Common Schools
A creation of Horace Mann, he believed that "the common school, a free, universal, non-sectarian, and public institution, was the best means of achieving the moral and socioeconomic uplift of all Americans." Source -
John Dewey
John Dewey changed the aspects of learning and teaching. Dewey put a huge focus on meaningful activity in learning and participation in the classroom. Dewey believed that learning should be focused and relevant to the students themselves.
A lot of Dewey's teachings are still in use today. He wrote a lot of books and really changed the face of education as we know it. Source -
Committee of Ten
MOST IMPORTANT
In 1892, The Committee of Ten was formed in order to make recommendations for the standardization of the curriculum in the United States. During the formation of this committee, they decided that school should last twelve years of education, with eight years of elementary and four years of high school. The committee decided to make English, math, and history mandatory to teach.
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The Measurement Movement
The Measurement Movement began in 1905 with Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon. These two men began the IQ test to gauge the intelligence of other people. -
Secondary School Movement
MOST IMPORTANT
The Secondary School Movement describes the era between 1910 and 1940 when secondary schools (high schools) began to flourish all over America.
In 1910, when the movement first began, only about 10% of high school aged kids were in school. In 1940 the number rose to about 73%. Making schools more accessible to everyone greatly influenced the numbers of students in the schools.
High schools are found everywhere and are still growing.
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Brown vs. Board of Education
Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954 was a major case in the cause of civil rights for African-Americans. This case is one of the many that began the movement for the integration of white and black schools. -
Civil Rights in Education
Congress declared that segregation in schools was unconstitutional. Previously it had been "separate but equal" schools but that was unconstitutional. Brown v. Board of Education was a major case in the fight to integrate. However, there were other cases involved in the fight.
We are still in this fight today.
Briggs v. Elliot
Bulah v. Gebhart and Belton v. Gebhart
Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County
Bolling v. Sharpe
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Sputnik
The Soviets makes history, launching the first artificial satellite into orbit and instilling fear in many Americans. This results in funding of more than $1 billion to revamp science and math programs in public schools. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Passed in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act far-reaching federal legislation affecting education ever passed. Part of President Johnson's "War on Poverty", this act funded a lot of elementary and secondary education. -
A Nation at Risk Report
A report started by President Ronald Reagan's National Commission on Excellence in Education, A Nation at Risk Report detailed how American schools were not educating students as well as was hoped. The publication is considered a very important event in American education history. -
Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act
Signed into law by President George H. W. Bush in October of 1990, the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act allowed schools to accommodate more students with disabilities. -
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act was a reformation of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that was passed in 1965, passed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The No Child Left Behind Act was passed by President George W. Bush in 2002. -
Every Student Succeeds Act
The Every Student Succeeds Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama on 10 December 2015. The Every Student Succeeds Act is the successor to the No Child Left Behind Act.
