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First Latin School
The first Latin Grammar School is established in Boston, MA designed to teach leadership skills in church, state, and courts. -
Massachusetts Law of 1647
Also known as the Ole Deluder Satan Act; decrees that every town with at least 50 families be legally required to hire a schoolmaster that would teach students to read and write. Towns with at least 100 families should have a Latin grammar head master to prepare students for college.
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Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights is passed by the first Congress of the new United States. No mention is specifically made of education in any of the amendments. However, the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution states that powers not delegated to the federal government "are reserved to the States, respectively, or to the people." Therefore education becomes a function of the state government rather than the federal branch.
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First Public High School Opens
Boston English High School opens as the first public high school in the US. -
Horace Mann
Horace Mann becomes the Secretary of the Massachusetts State Board of Education. Mann was a visionary for public education, incessantly pressing for increased funding in schools, better teacher training. -
Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution
Charles Darwin publishes "The Origin of Species", introducing the theory of evolution that occurs by the process of natural selection which is taught -controversially- in schools today. -
US enters WWI
As the US enters WWI, it has no means of testing intellectual ability for recruits. A team of psychologists creates an IQ test that sets the standards for standardized tests. -
GI Bill of Rights
FDR signs the GI Bill into law, enabling war veterans an opportunity to receive financial aid and education aid opportunities. About 7.8 million veterans take advantage of this, nearly doubling college enrollment, breaking the norm that "only the wealthy" could achieve a college education. -
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
MOST IMPORTANT
US Supreme Court rules that "separate is inherently unequal" thus overturning Plessy v. Ferguson. This ruling desegregated schools and sets the standard for striving toward "equality" in education, even if it may not exactly be equitable. Some of the negative effects of Brown v. Board were that teacher of color were out of work and that students lost some role models in this way, however all in all the ruling was positive.
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Sputnik & the NDEA
After Sputnik makes its way into orbit, the US begins increasing its focus in science education, resulting in the National Defense Education Act, increasing funding in sciences, math, and foreign languages. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
MOST IMPORTANT
As part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's "War on Poverty", ESEA provides increased funding for low-income students; introduces Title 1 schools, bilingual education, and Project Head Start. This has helped schools that may not have high property taxes (funding) have a chance to give their students a more equitable education.
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Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
MOST IMPORTANT
Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in all aspects of education. The passage of Title IX led to an outpouring of interest and funding for women's athletics which has promoted gender quality on an amateur, collegiate, and professional athletic level. Participation in sports has also led to a rise in employment opportunities for girls as well.
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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The Education of All Handicapped Children Act (renamed in 1990 as IDEA) 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 and states are given until 1978 (later extended to 1981) to fully implement the law. -
Columbine School Shooting
MOST IMPORTANT
Two students go on a killing spree leaving 15 students dead and 23 wounded in Littleton, CO, then making it the deadliest school shooting at the time. After the shooting, school procedures become tightened, but school shootings have since continued at an alarming rate. As of February 21st, 2016, 65% of school shooters have referenced Columbine as a motivation.
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No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
MOST IMPORTANT
NCLB is signed into law with bipartisan support reauthorizing ESEA, mandating high stakes testing & school accountability based on student achievement & penalizing schools that don't reach proper levels. NCLB had an infeasible 10year goal of all students being at grade level, labeling schools as "failing" if they don't meet goals and cutting funding. NCLB greatly increased use of high stakes standardized tests.
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