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Massachussets Passes the First Education Laws
Selectmen in each town were charged with determining whether parents and masters of apprentences were educating the children in their care properly. In 1647 the law was further expanded to include townships of 50 or more to provide a teacher. Townships of 100 or more were required to have a grammar school. -
Education in the Colonial Period
Education was important to the colonists. Although focused on literacy and Christianity, this was a practice many brought over from England and taught this principle to their chldren. -
Jefferson, Rush & Webster's Contributions to Education
Webster (the very same our dictionaries are named for) published his first "Blueback Speller" to help students learn correct spelling and distinguish U.S. English from traditional English. Rush wanted the public to support education. Thomas Jefferson believed all children should be educated- although he never saw his efforts come to fruition, they paved the way for others later. -
Poplulation Expansion and Immigration
As the U.S. became industrialized, immigrants flooded to the promise of greater opportunity, and land was aquired. Between 1830 and 1860 1.2 million miles of territory was added, 4 million people came here from other countries (many of whom were not English speakers). From 1820 to 1860, the U.S. added 89 cities bringing the total to 101. -
Sarah Roberts and Integration
Sarah Roberts, an African American, was not allowed to attend any of the five schools nearest her home due to segregation. Her father filed a law suit and in 1849 the case reached the Massachussettes Supreme Judicial Court- Sarah and her father lost their case, but in 1855 a law was passed in Massachussettes to change schools to separate but equal. -
The Civil War and Westward Expansion
When the Civil War ended 4 million slaves were now free to be educated. Many people were also heading West as the U.S, expanded its geographical area. -
The Progressive Reform Movement
The progressive movement (1890-1920) impacted education by enforcing state laws that forbid child labor and made attendance at school required. The belief that children learned by doing began to take shape. -
The Committee of Ten
A committee formed standardize curriculum and uniform subject matter- including introducing younger children to the basic subjects, and giving instruction to college and vocational bound students. -
John Dewey writes "School & Society"
The book, "School & Society", was a critique of schools of the time- he believed schools should focus on the whole child. Dewey is called the father of progressive education. -
The Measurement Movement
Thorndike and Terman created a test that measured an individual person's intellegence against the "normal" population. Terman created IQ levels for a person's mental development. -
Brown vs. The Board of Education
Brown's father was part of a group that believed schools should be equal- in opportunity and in race. After being denied enrollment to local "all white" schools, Brown's father decided to sue. The court ruled in favor of Brown stating that, "segregation had no place in public school". The ruling met drastic resistence nationwide including legal manuevers and violence. -
The Educational War on Poverty
It was believed that the "cycle of poverty" could be broken if children in poverty were educated and provided skills. This federal legistlation purpose was to subsize low-income housing, improve healthcare, expand welfare, provide job retraining, regular planning in depressed areas, and improve inner-city schools. In 1965 another act, The Elementary and Secondary Education Act provided $1 billion in aide to schools. Title 1 schools recieved 80% of the funds. -
Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act
This act defined and explained the rights of all children. It also granted the right to students with disabilities to a free and appropriate education. -
A Nation at Risk Report
The report informed a committee (and the nation) that students in the U.S. were not preforming on tests as well as other industrialized nations. Students were described as a "rising tide of mediocrity". The report suggested higher standards for students and better qualifications for teachers. -
No Child Left Behind
Insisted on national standardds for math and reading by the 2005-2006 school year. Standardized testing was put in place annually for students in grades 3 to 8, and once more tested in grades 10 to 12. The goal was for 100% of kids tested to test proficient by 2014. The schools, districts, andn states were all required to document progress and faced sanctions if requirements weren't met.
