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In 1636, Harvard College is established.
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In 1642, the Massachusetts Bay Colony passed the first education law that required children to be taught to read and write.
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Massachusetts requires all towns of 50 or more families to establish schools.
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In 1779, Thomas Jefferson suggested two learning tracks: for "the laboring and the learned," which tended to only create divisiveness.
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The first public high school in America, English Classical School (now English High School) in Boston, Massachusetts, opens in 1821.
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In 1827, a Massachusetts law declared all public schools to be made free to all people.
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The African Institute, now named Cheyney University, is established, providing higher educations to African Americans for the first time.
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The opening of the Massachusetts Reform School at Westboro in 1848 marks the beginning of "reform schools," combining education with the justice system.
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The decision of Plessy v. Ferguson and the introduction of "separate but equal" to law leads to legal segregation in schools.
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In 1905, the U.S. Supreme Court passed a law requiring California to allow and provide public education for Chinese immigrants.
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The 1917 passing of the Smith-Hughes Act introduces federal funding for vocational schools.
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In 1926, the first Scholastic Aptitude Test was administered, creating a benchmark system for highschool students.
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The end of World War II and the G.I. Bill of Rights grants college scholarships to thousands.
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In 1954, the decision of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka rules segregated schools "unequal."
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The 1972 passing of Title IX of the Education Amendments brought equality between men and women in education.
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The decision of Milliken v. Bradley in 1974 allows segregation to continue.
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In 1993, Jones International University becomes the first entirely-online school.
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The passing of Proposition 187 in California means children of undocumented immigrants can't attend public schools.
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In 1999, the Columbine High School shooting brings a necessary attention to school shootings.
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In 2001, the No Child Left Behind Act was passed, making sure each student was given the opportunity to learn and hit educational quotas.