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Jamestown
First permanent English settlement in the Americas. -
New England Primer
The first American textbook is published. The book promoted literacy and theology. -
A New Nation
The average American spends only 82 days in school. -
Guaranteed Education?
Thomas Jefferson drafts a proposal to guarantee three years of education for all children. It failed, but he continued to strive for public education. -
Blue-Backed Speller
Noah Webster publishes a speller to differentiate American English from British English. -
McGuffey Readers
Textbooks designed for schoolchildren on the Western frontier. -
Period: to
Horace Mann
Horace Mann is elected to the new post of Secratary of Education in Massachusetts. During this time, educational spending doubles. -
Riot!
Philadelphia Bible Riots break out between Catholics and Protestants. Should Catholic schoolchildren be forced to learn in a Protestant school system? -
Desegregation?
90 African Americans sign a petition asking the Boston School Committee to desegregate schools. -
Desegregation
Massachusetts law abolishes segregation in schools. -
Period: to
Civil War
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Emancipation Proclamation
President Lincoln frees the slaves. -
Numbers
7.6 million students in the US.
$63 million for education. -
Numbers
12.7 million students.
$141 million for education. -
Period: to
The New Colossus
22 million immigrants come to the United States -
I pledge allegiance...
The pledge is first used in a public school. -
Segregation
Supreme Court upholds seperate but equal. -
Numbers
50% of US kids attend school
5 years is the average span of education
6% graduation rate -
The School and Society
John Dewey proposes child-centered learning. -
English
President Teddy Roosevelt urges English-only education. -
Period: to
The Great War
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IQ
Psychologist Lewis Terman at Stanford University popularizes the IQ test. -
Numbers
$1 billion is spent on education
There is a 17% graduation rate -
Child Labor
FDR passes a law that limits many forms of child labor. -
Life Adjustment Education
Schools begin teaching practical lessons on family life, hygiene, and health. -
Numbers
3/5 students graduate and half of those go on to college.
17 states have segregation laws.
Mexican-Americans average only 5.4 years in school.
74% of disabled children don't attend school.
14% of Afro-American students attain a HS diploma.
Less than 1% of women pursue law or medical degrees. -
Educational Wastelands
Arthur Bestor publishes his book, Educational Wastelands, which is highly critical of declining standards in education. -
Brown v Board of Education
Supreme Court decides that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." -
under God
The words "under God" are added to the pledge of allegiance. -
Little Rock Nine
Nine Afro-American students begin attending an all-white high school. -
NDEA
National Defense of Education Act provides funding for all levels of education. -
Civil Rights Act
LBJ signs a law that guarantees Fourteenth and Fifteenth Ammendment rights. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
President Lyndon Johnson, a former school teacher, provides unding for schools. -
Bilingual Education Act
Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act provides funds to establish educational programs for students with limited English speaking ability. -
Bussing
School districts bus students to desegregate. -
Title IX
Gender discrimination is outlawed in schools. -
Lau v Nichols
Supreme Court upholds bilingual education. $68 billion are allocated for bilingual programs. -
Bussing ends
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Spanish Harlem
East Harlem schools experiment with alternative schools within schools, called The Choice. -
Equality extended
Schools are open to nearly 3.7 million students with disabilities. -
Numbers
Graduation rate is over 85%.
51% of Afro-Americans attain a HS diploma.
About 30% law and medical students are women. -
A Nation at Risk
A report commissioned by President Ronald Reagan declares a poor state of American education. -
Core Knowledge
E.D Hirsch develops the Core Knowledge Foundation, which offers a standardized curriculum for all students. -
Milwaukee Vouchers
Wisconsin passes the country's first school voucher system legislation. -
Choices
New York allows parents to choose the school for their children. -
Privatization
Baltimore hires a private company to manage schools. -
Cleveland Vouchers
Religious schools are allowed school vouchers. -
Private Charter Schools
EAI signs a contract with Arizona to operate a dozen charter schools. -
Money for Charters
Congress approves $80 million to construct new charter schools. -
Columbine massacre
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Channel One
1/4 of secondary schools show Channel One. -
Numbers
47.8 million students are enrolled in public education, which is almost 90% of all children in the US.