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Horace Mann
Horace Mann was the first appointed secretary of education, and is sometimes referred to as "The Father of American Education". Mann believed that schools all need a shared mission, and need to maintain certain standards in children's education. He wanted to make sure there was educational equality and rationality to all students in every location. (p.127-128) -
Brown v. Board of Education
This declared that "separate but equal" was "inherently unequal". This changed American public schools from being racially segregated to being integrated. This gave equal educational opportunity for all students of every race. (p.151-152) -
Public Law 94-142
This allowed for children with disabilities to have basic educational rights. This gave these children free and appropriate education, individualized education programs, special education services, due process procedures, and a less restrictive learning environment. This law improved slowly over time. (p.159) -
A Nation at Risk
This made the claim that other countries were challenging the United States in things like industry, science, and technology. American Students were also scoring poorly on tests, not taking enough science and math classes, and had had poor critical thinking skills. This made it so students in the United States now to had reach a reasonably demanding academic curriculum, and had to fulfill certain requirements before receiving their diploma. (p.161) -
No Child Left Behind
This was a first attempt at holding states, districts, and schools accountable for the unequal achievement among different student populations. This law required all student subgroups to pass state standard assessments at 100%. While it had mixed results, there were some successes. (p.164-165)
