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Sputnik
After World War II ended in 1945, the United States and the Soviet Union were in a race. Each country wanted to travel to space first, create nuclear weapons and control the world. The Soviets created the first satellite in 1957 named "Sputnik". Americans feared that the Soviets were winning this race, would implement communism throughout the U.S. and ultimately America would collapse. Americans believed the best defense would be educational defense. -
National Defense Education Act
NDEA was the United State's response to Sputnik. The federal government funded science, technology, economics, and mathematics (STEM) along with foreign language studies. As a result, federal standards began to play a major role in education. -
Civil Rights Act
During the 1960s, the federal government became more involved in education due to society's focus on equality for all people through the Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights Act protected individual's rights in public schools and education. Congress amended the act in 1972. The education amendments resulted in the Equal Opportunity in Education Act. -
Economic Opportunity Act
President Lyndon B. Johnson's goal from his Economic Opportunity Act was to provide social programs for the poor. Through health, education, and welfare, Johnson hoped to give those in poverty access to education and work to improve their situations. Head Start was birthed in 1965 as a result of EOA and was later updated in 1981 to the Head Start Act. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
President Johnson signed the ESEA to provide extra academic support to help students meet core and state standards. Some of the funds assist students in receiving extra help in math and reading for example. Students' eligibility for funding is based on their need for free/reduced lunches. -
The Education of All Handicapped Children Act
President Ford signed the EAHC into law to ensure all handicapped children would receive free appropriate public education (FAPE). Public schools receiving federal funding had to provide one free meal a day for these children and a plan for these students to learn alongside all other children. -
Even Start Program
The United States Department of Education created the Even Start Program in 1988 (I couldn't find the day/month). The goal is to provide resources for parents to improve their literacy to assist their own children in learning to read and achieving their academic potential. Early childhood education, adult education, and family literacy come together to improve lives. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Individual with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA continued the fight for disabled children to receive equal opportunities in the classroom. IDEA provides inclusion along with universal design (UD), making all classrooms accessible and available to all children. -
No Child Left Behind Act
President Bush reauthorized the ESEA and renamed it the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2001. The idea was to bring accountability through testing. Schools receiving higher test scores and adequate yearly progress standards (AYP) receive more money from the government.
