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1965
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is passed on April 9. The ESEA had a main purpose to create equal access to quality education, but also played apart in President’s Johnson’s “War on Poverty”. Giving a chance for equal education despite status created opportunity for those from all cultures. -
1966
The Equality of Educational Opportunity Study is conducted. The study is informally referred to as “the Coleman Report” and revealed more than just the benefits of integrated schools. The study had much to say about school segregation, testing, academic mindset, college enrollment, and teachers, but also revealed how homelife plays a key role in determining student achievement. For multicultural education, the Coleman Report proved that integration furthered achievement. -
1968
The Bilingual Education Act (Title VII) becomes law. With this made law, school districts were to use federal funds to create English education programs for students with limited ability in the language. This created the chance for those from different backgrounds or cultures to learn English. -
1974
The Equal Educational Opportunities Act is passed. This law prohibited discrimination against faculty, staff, and students based on any differences, including racial segregation. This was to push school districts into providing equal opportunity, especially helping students with limited English skills. -
1975
The National Association of Bilingual Education is founded. The associations mission statement is “To advocate for educational equity and academic excellence for bilingual/multilingual students in a global society.” This can include those across different cultural backgrounds. -
1984
The Emergency Immigrant Education Act is enacted. Its purpose was to provide financial aid to school districts with large numbers of immigrant students. Students who are immigrants may come from a different cultural background, meaning this act had a large impact on multicultural education. -
1994
The Improving America's Schools Act (IASA) is signed into law by President Bill Clinton on January 25th. The IASA increased funding for multicultural education, specifically for bilingual and immigrant students. It also held schools accountable for helping disadvantaged students by checking their results. -
2002
The controversial No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is signed into law by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002. The NCLB regulates student testing, holding schools accountable for student test scores and penalizing those that don’t meet progress goals. The NCLB is flawed in that it does not make special allowances for English language learners, failing at a chance to improve multicultural education. -
2013
On May 22, the Chicago Board of Education voted to close 50 schools. While officials claim this was to improve education and cut certain costs, teachers claim low-income and minority students and families were disadvantaged. This shut down failed to create equal education opportunities. -
2016
On May 13, the federal government tells school districts "to allow transgender students to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity." This is not something that has been signed into law, but a step towards avoiding gender bias and creating equal opportunities in an educational setting.
