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Education in the Colonial Period
Mostly boys from upper class received education either from private home tutors or college and university. Boys from the middle class often attended dame schools (run by an educated housewife, usually from her home). Women were not readily educated. School life was strict with long days and harsh punishments. link text -
Northwest Land Ordinance*
New territory in the northwest was to be divided into townships. Within one of the blocks, the township was required to have a school. This event is most important because it was the first time that education was encouraged and required by law. It lead the way to our modern public education that is sustained and regulated by the local, state, and federal government. Link text -
Population Growth and Immigration in the 19th Century*
With the influx of immigrants from all over the world, American schools now had overwhelming diversity in ethnicity, culture, and language. This event was so important because teachers had to dramatically change the way they taught and what they taught. This movement of people set the stage for a century of social and educational reform. Link text -
The Impact of Horace Mann
Mann advocated common schools in which all children should be allowed to attend and learn for free. He wanted to equalize the conditions of man by allowing everyone to be educated. -
Secondary School Movement*
With the turn of the century, people began to enroll in independent high schools. These allowed for students to be taught specified subjects on a higher level. High schools prepared students more for applicable life skills rather than college or university. It also made learning fun as more classes were offered.
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The Progressive Reform Movement
This movement focused less on strict curriculum and more on benefiting the child. Schools, like the one in Gary, Indiana, were more hands on, applicable, and community focused than ever before. -
The Impact of John Dewey
Advocate of child-centered learning and “a guide on the side” teaching style. He felt that students should learn for themselves through guidance from their teacher and their personal creativity. -
Brown vs. Board of Education*
A few black families attempted to enroll their students in all-white schools. The case went to the Supreme Court where it was decided that “separate, but equal” do not mean equal. This event is important because for the first time in American History the government attempted to ban segregation in schools. This would allow for many different minorities to be mainstreamed into properly funded schools.
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The Civil Rights Movement & The War on Poverty
President Lyndon B. Johnson, a former teacher in an impoverished area of Texas, declared a War on Poverty began a train of federal funding for schools and programs to diminish poverty and encourage civil rights. -
Growth of Standardized Testing
The federal education acts in the late 1900’s early 2000’s have required higher standards from schools and to measure these standards there has been an increase of standardized testing. These high-stakes test put a lot of strain on teachers and students. -
Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act*
This federal act overpowered the states requiring that every school in their state begin to include students with disabilities. Although a federal mandate, the majority of the funds came from the states, which puts strain on the states. However, without this mandate, there would not be as much inclusion of students with disabilities in general education as there is across the entire nation today.
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A Nation at Risk Report
President Ronald Raegan’s report concerning the failure of American Education. This imperative set a new, essential standards for US students i.e. 4 years of English, 3 years of mathematics, 3 years of science, 3 years of social studies, and one-half year of computer science for graduation. -
No Child Left Behind
Signed into law by President George W. Bush, held schools accountable for student outcomes. The standardized tests set by earlier acts, were also used evaluating teacher and school effectiveness. -
ESSA
President Barack Obama replaced NCLB with this act to encourage schools that had failed under NCLB standards to by having them adapt the common core. It is yet another act that calls for standardized testing for government regulation. -
Sputnik and NDEA
When Russia sent Sputnik into space, the government panicked as the United States had fallen behind. President Dwight D. Eisenhower created NDEA to crack down on science and mathematics in schools and restore America’s technological power.
