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Latin Grammar Schools
The first Latin Grammar School opened in 1635. Known as the Boston Latin School, its purpose was to educate boys who were being primed for leadership positions in the church, state, or courts. Latin and Greek were the primary studies of the school and rote learning and recitations were the modes of learning. The young boys generally went to Harvard College after finishing at the the Boston Latin School. Harvard College was founded in 1636. -
Massachusetts Act of 1642
The passing of the Massachusetts Act of 1642 was the beginning of compulsory education. Religious and colonial leaders believed that education should no longer be voluntary and that organized schools would uphold the Puritan doctrine. Up until this time, parents were free to choose the route of education for their children, either at home or at school. It soon became apparent that more structured education was necessary for adequate occupational training. -
Sarah Pierce's Litchfield Female Academy
Nearly all English academies at the time educated only male students. However, there were a few exceptions such as Sarah Pierce's Litchfield Female Academy. The purpose of Sarah's academy was to provide young girls with the practical knowledge and skills that they would need as daughters, wives, and mothers. Sarah's academy operated for 41 years, from 1792 to 1833, serving over 3,000 students from nearly every state and Canada. -
Boston English Classical School Established in 1821
In 1821, the first "public" school was established. The Boston English Classical School was the first state-supported high school in the United States. It was renamed English High School in 1824. -
Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862
The Morrill Land Grant Act provided federal land to states for the purpose of funding education. The land could be either sold or rented out and the fund received were to be used for establishing colleges of agricultural or mechanical arts. Each state received 30,000 acres for each of their representatives and senators. While Iowa was the first state to accept the terms of the Act, the first institute created under the Act was Kansas State University in 1863. -
1st Public Kindergarten
The first public kindergarten was established in St. Louis in 1873 by Susan Blow. It was modeled from a kindergarten that she had visited while in Germany. Blow was a huge advocate for public kindergarten and envisioned it being a basis for public education everywhere. Blow's program was so successful, that by 1879 there were 53 public kindergarten classes with 131 teachers. -
G.I. Bill of Rights
In 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the G.I. Bill of Rights (also known as the Servicemen's Readjustment Act), which provided millions of veterans money for tuition, room, and board at colleges and universities. The G.I. Bill not only aided the servicemen and women, it also helped to stimulate college admissions and improved the character of the student population by enrolling servicemen and women who tended to be older and more serious about receiving a solid education. -
Brown vs Board of Education
In 1951, a lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court in Topeka, Kansas, on behalf of 13 African American families and their children, against the Board of Education requesting that the previous policy allowing segregation be banned. The District Court sided with the Board of Education. However, in 1954, the Supreme Court and Chief Justice Earl Warren declared the segregation of school children unacceptable and overturned the previous "separate but equal" policy. -
National Defense Education Act of 1958
In 1958, the US Office of Education developed a program that encouraged research and innovation in the arts of science, mathematics, modern foreign language, and guidance. The goal of the National Defense Education Act was to reform education to reflect the importance of teaching knowledge and skills and training educators to be effective teachers. This act was inspired by Russia beating the United States into space with Sputnik in 1957. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
President Gerald Ford signed into law in 1975, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act which guaranteed that all children with special needs would receive free, appropriate education in the least restrictive learning environment. This act extended educational opportunities for children with disabilities and involved their parents in planning their educational programs. -
No Child Left Behind Act
In 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) as a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. The Act set high standards and required every state to develop assessments in basic skills. These standardized tests also tremendous pressure on the teachers and administrators. The Act called for all students to make "adequate yearly progress" and increased accountability of the educators. -
A Blueprint for Reform
In 2010, President Barack Obama released his Blueprint for Reform in an attempt to reauthorize the ESEA. He believed that schools should no longer be singled out for students failing to meet yearly adequate progress. However, by 2011, Congress had failed to act on his reform. The Obama administration then announced that states could voluntarily seek "ESEA Flexibility" in order to be exempt from certain requirements of the NCLB. As of 2013, 45 states had submitted plans for ESEA flexibilty.
