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Colonial Education
Schooling in this era mainly prepared children for life on the plantation, or for their trade. Boys received more education than girls, and girls learned a lot of home-making skills in school.
http://www.stratfordhall.org/educational-resources/teacher-resources/colonial-education/ -
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin believed in student-led education, where students could learn through their own experience. He also believed in educating African Americans and women.
https://coffeeshopthinking.wordpress.com/2013/10/11/benjamin-franklins-philosophy-of-education/ -
Noah Webster
Noah Webster developed a speller for children to use which helped them learn how to read. This also started to develop an "American" English, separate from "British" English which helped to unify Americans.
https://www.noahwebsterhouse.org/discover/noah-webster-history.htm -
Horace Mann
Horace Mann was elected Secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education and worked to make sure everyone could get a free education. He also played a role in getting teachers trained and improving the quality of schools.
http://www.pbs.org/onlyateacher/horace.html -
Immigration in the 19th Century
Immigrants were "Americanized" in public schools, learning American culture and only speaking the English language. Schools had little to no regard for student's native culture, language, and religion.
http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/immigrant-era-focus-assimilation -
John Dewey
John Dewey was also known as the "Father of progressive education." His philosophy on education was that learning should be meaningful to the student, and that students learn by doing.
http://www.pbs.org/onlyateacher/john.html -
Committee of 10
The Committee of Ten shaped the education curriculum for the United States. They decided that both college and non-college bound students would take the same courses while in school.
http://faculty.knox.edu/jvanderg/202_K/Commof10Recom.htm -
Multiple Choice Tests *** Most Important
Multiple choice testing started in World War 1 when the army wanted to test the intelligence of their recruits. The education system then started using this type of test question for "objectivity" and convenience in testing. Now many years later multiple choice tests are a staple in American Education and don't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/dark-history-of-multiple-choice-ainissa-ramirez -
Brown v Board of Education*** Most Important
This case ruled that Blacks and Whites could no longer be segregated in schools under the law. The Supreme Court determined that "separate but equal" schools were not actually equal. Because of this, schools in America now have students of all races and denominations learning together in the same schools.
http://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/history-brown-v-board-education-re-enactment -
School Vouchers*** Most Important
School vouchers started on the premise that allowing competition in the education system would make it more competitive and therefore better. The thought was to get those people (especially minorities and the poor) into different, better schools to improve their education. This is still a controversial topic today, especially with the new Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, a proponent of vouchers, being voted in.
http://nepc.colorado.edu/files/educationalvouchers.html -
Sputnik and NDEA
The launching of Sputnik by the Soviet Union created fear in Americans that the education system was not up to par with other countries. The National Defense Education Act was passed to increase education in math, science, and foreign languages.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Defense-Education-Act -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act was signed in by Lyndon B Johnson to raise standards in education and provide funding for lower income schools. This was the basis for the No Child Left Behind act that would come many years later.
http://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/programs/education/elementary-and-secondary-education-act-of-1965/ -
IDEA ***Most Important
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was first passed in 1975 with the intent of educating all people, including those with disabilities. This allowed students with disabilities to be educated in the general classroom as much as possible. Schools today have been forever changed by educating and including all students in the classroom.
https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/your-childs-rights/basics-about-childs-rights/how-idea-protects-you-and-your-child -
A Nation at Risk ***Most Important
The "A Nation at Risk Report" concluded that American Education was mediocre and needing improvement. This sparked reform in the form of more rigorous coursework, higher standards, and improving teacher quality. This has impacted our current education by sparking the start of high stakes testing, which is a huge aspect of American Education.
https://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/a-nation-at-risk/ -
No Child Left Behind
The No Child Left Behind law was built off the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, to improve the education of all students, especially minority students. The law held schools accountable for the progress of their students, and required them to take certain steps to improve their schools if unsuccessful.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/no-child-left-behind-overview-definition-summary.html
