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The first Montessori school in the U.S. opens in Tarrytown, New York. Two years later (1913), Maria Montessori visits the U.S., and the Montessori Educational Association is founded in Washington, DC.
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The Progressive movement began in the 1920's. Its focus was on incidental learning. Believing that children would "learn as much arithmetic as they needed and would learn it better if it was not systematically taught." The role of the teacher was to use create opportunities for arithmetic to be taught during naturally occurring situations.
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The committee of Seven made up of school superintendents and principals from midwestern cities began in the late 1920s. The surveyed students to find out when they mastered various topics. After their findings, the committee recommended teaching mathematics topics according to students’ mental age. "The recommendations of the Committee of Seven had a strong impact on the sequencing of the curriculum for years afterward." Helping Children Learn Mathematics.
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After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S focused the following four years on resources to support the war effort. As young men and women enlist, education is put on hold with students and teachers fighting in the war.
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After the launch of the Russian Sputnik, the world's first artificial satellite. The United States began a race to lead the world in science. In doing so their goal was to create a science curriculum and reform and upgrade the teaching of science in schools.
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The space race of the 1950s created a public concern for a push for research and development in mathematics curricula in education. Although this concern was "focused on teaching the mathematically talented student."
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A prominent mathematics education researcher, William A. Brownell wrote an article in 1954 which showed the "benefits of encouraging insight and the understanding of relationships, structures, patterns, interpretations, and principles." His research brought focus on learning as a process to lead to meaning and understanding.
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The U.S. Supreme Court announces its decision in the case of Brown v. Board. of Education of Topeka, ruling that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal," Brown v. Board of Education is actually a combination of five cases from different parts of the country.
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The Taxonomy of Educational Objectives created by Benjamin S. Bloom, M.D. Engelhart, E.J. Furst, W.H. Hill, and David Krathwohl is a handbook of education goals which divides the cognitive domain into six levels: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis.
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First published in 1934, Lev Vygotsky's book, Thought, and Language was released in English in 1962. Vygotsky's ideas focused on the social nature of learning. He is best known for his concept of "Zone of Proximal Development." is the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can do with help.
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By 1964 the NSF had sponsored 20 innovative large-scale projects for the redevelopment of the K-12 science curriculum. This included the Physical Science Study Committee, ChemStudy, the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, and the Earth Science Curriculum Study. These projects were in part due to their goal to "broaden and deepen the public’s understanding of scientific knowledge, inquiry, and institutions."
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This revised curriculum meant teachers could bring experiments into the classroom and students could learn through investigation and enquiry.
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Teaching and development programs stop operating for many years.
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In the 1970s, a change in curriculum development occurred. This time emphasis was placed on the skills needed for success in the real world. It became important to teach the basics (primarily addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division with whole numbers and fractions). These were basics were built into sets of objectives and in tests.
Helping Children Learn Mathematics. -
Jean Piaget's published his book, The Science of Education. Focused on discovery-based learning and teaching approaches is called the Learning Cycle Model. It is adapted for the science education.
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While it was found that 60% of school's had been using some form of the NSF-sponsored science curriculum there was still a problem with costs and publishers not supporting materials to schools also due to costs. Parents and educators questioned it's "godless" curriculum and new teaching styles were also being developed which did not match the NSF curriculum. Evaluations of the curriculum found that the impact was declining and many teachers were going back to previous text-book driven practices.
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K-12 achievement results were analyzed by policy makers, to which they found the nation to be "at risk" of economic catastrophe. There solution was to increase high school graduation requirements for science and mathematics.
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With technology increasing rapidly it became unclear what specific skills would be needed in the future. By the 1980s an emphasis was put on problem-solving. "Problem-solving was not seen as
a separate topic but as a way to learn and to use mathematics." Helping Children Learn Mathematics. -
In the late 1980s, "the world’s largest professional organization of teachers of mathematics led the way in developing standards for school mathematics." known as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). The NCTM "developed standards for curriculum and for evaluation, teaching, and assessment." This influenced other professional organizations to follow and develop standards for their subjects. Helping Children Learn Mathematics.
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Scientific and political leaders assembled at the National Academy of Sciences Convocation on Science and Mathematics Education and shared concerns for the nation's economy and education. President Ronald Reagan also spoke about the stopping a "20-year decline in K-12 science and mathematics"
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Appointed by the Secretary of education, This group of university presidents, professors, and K-12 educators gave an assessment of U.S K-12 education. Their report, Nation at Risk they found that the U.S. had been overtaken in commerce, industry, science, and technological innovation because U.S. schools had “lost sight of the high expectations and disciplined effort needed to attain” the necessary goals of education" (National Commission for Excellence in Education, 1983, p. 5).
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The report, A Nation at Risk pointed out the best way to improve science and mathematics in education would be to roll out a national wide standard. This would come in the form of standard content, instruction, assessment and professional development. This framework would bring a common goal giving all students a "sufficient level of knowledge and skills across the core academic subjects."
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States and local school districts preferred to be in control of curriculum. For science, benchmarks were developed to ensure teachers were on track with standards and it also became a framework for content, curriculum, and state-level assessments. These benchmarks were called: 1. Benchmarks for Science Literacy 2. The National Science Education Standards.
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Principles and Standards for School Mathematics were updated and published by NCTM in 2000. These standards explained the "mathematical content and mathematical processes that should be taught in school mathematics." The Principles and Standards for School Mathematics went on to influence the development of the Common Core State Standards. Helping Children Learn Mathematics.
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This legislation meant that schools were now required to report student test scores across demographic groups and to work toward
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In 2007 for the first time, the legislation will require science testing to be carried out nationwide.
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Common Core State Standards was launched in 2009 by state leaders, including governors and state commissioners of education. Led by the "National Governors Association for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers."
The standards for reading and mathematics were derived from the "NCTM standards, state standards, and standards from around the world." Helping Children Learn Mathematics. -
A state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers," is launched. It is expected that many, perhaps most, states will adopt them.
"American Educational History Timeline." American Educational History Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2017. -
The U.S Senate votes 85 - 12 to replace the No Child Left Behind Act with the Every Student Succeeds Act. This gives more state control in judging school quality. "American Educational History Timeline." American Educational History Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.
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Under President Omaba the federal government instructs schools "to allow transgender students to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity." While this is a directive and not a law, districts that do not comply could face lawsuits or lose federal aid.
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Newly elected President Donald Trump rescinds Obama's transgender bathroom directive.
"American Educational History Timeline." American Educational History Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.
