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Harvard College,
the first higher education institution in what is now the United States, is established in Newtowne (now Cambridge), Massachusetts -
first mandatory attendance law.
By 1885, 16 states have compulsory-attendance laws, but most of those laws are sporadically enforced at best. All states have them by 1918 -
Boston Public Library
opens to the public. It is the first "free municipal library" in the U.S. -
The National Teachers Association
(now the National Education Association) is founded by forty-three educators in Philadelphia -
Department of Education
created in order to help states establish effective school systems. -
National Education Association
establish a standard secondary school curriculum, the Committee of Ten, recommends a college-oriented high school curriculum -
Association of American Universities
founded to promote higher standards and put U.S. universities on an equal footing with their European counterparts. -
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
first administered. It is based on the Army Alpha test. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
federal funds to help lower income student -
Public Law 101-476, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA),
renames and amends Public Law 94-142. In addition to changing terminology from handicap to disability, it mandates transition services and adds autism and traumatic brain injury to the eligibility list.