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The Impact of Jefferson, Rush & Webster
MOST IMPORTANT: Thomas Jefferson said that democracy needs educated citizens to survive. He proposed 3 years required education for all. Webster eliminated British spelling and textbooks from American education. His text book had American national ideals. We still recite the pledge of allegiance in classrooms today. Jefferson's ideas that educated citizens make better citizens continues today
http://dailysignal.com/2013/04/14/18th-century-advice-thomas-jefferson-on-education-reform/ -
Northwest Land Ordinance
This led to people moving out west. They needed teachers for their children, so they would pay for a teacher to come to their town to teach. Women were typically the ones who were trained and came to teach. -
The Impact of Horace Mann
Horace Mann was the first Secretary of the Board of Education of Massachusetts in 1837. He visited the locations of all the schools and found that the students were receiving unequal educations because of the conditions and resources available to them. He became a crusader for equality in public education since he believed education was the way to improve life. Because he had seen so many differences in all the schools he visited, he was a huge advocate for standardizing aspects of school. -
The Impact of John Dewey
John Dewey's ideas about education were central to the Progressive reform movement in education. He encouraged child-centered education, anchored in the whole child. -
Population Growth and Immigration in the 19th Century
Immigrants attended school as a way to become Americanized. In the late 1800s and early 1900s schools were crowded with immigrants, so much so, that disease spread through schools, and many children would rather work in a factory than attend school. -
The Progressive Reform Movement
At the World's Fair in Paris,1900, the Progressive Movement of Education was shared. It incorporated hands-on, exploratory, child-centered education. People immigrated to the US for this kind of education. Experimental schools had lots of classes to teach their students to serve the community. Opposition labeled it a plot for cheap labor. -
Secondary School Movement
High school became an important step on the path to college or a career. More and more students attended high school and learned skills that helped them in the workforce. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
MOST IMPORTANT Supreme Court decision: separate is not equal, segregation in school is unconstitutional, schools had to integrate. Many students were given opportunities they didn't have before. Schools were given funding for integrating. It set a precedent of federal funding for meeting certain criteria. Schools are still motivated by funding from federal government. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2014/04/24/how-after-60-years-brown-v-board-of-education-succeeded-and-didnt/ -
Sputnik and NDEA
When the Russians put Sputnik up in space, it motivated the country to place an emphasis on Science and Technology in schools. This also prompted the creation of the National Defense Education Act to help students become the scientists that would beat the Russians. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act, 1965-
MOST IMPORTANT ESEA was part of Pres. Johnson's “War on Poverty.” He said, “an equal chance at education is an equal chance at life.” He wanted to support students in poverty. Funding was given to schools to support programs for poor students. It set a precedent of federal funding dictating what is taught and how a school is run. Title I programs were created, with strict guidelines for allocating the funds. This funding continues today.
http://www.rsfjournal.org/doi/full/10.7758/RSF.2015.1.3.01 -
Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act, 1975-
MOST IMPORTANT This act required individuals with disabilities to be allowed to attend school. It requires that schools make accommodations. Inclusion is good for all students. It does mean more work for the teachers, but it was and continues to be one of the most important reforms in education.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/trisha-lynn-sprayberry/idea-for-students-with-disabilities_b_6312830.html -
A Nation at Risk Report
MOST IMPORTANT Pres. Reagan came out with this report that said the US education was creating a “rising tide of mediocrity.” This started a push for “measurable results,” which led to standardized testing. It also led to schools following a business model for education so they could compete with other countries.
http://neatoday.org/2013/04/25/a-nation-at-risk-turns-30-where-did-it-take-us-2/ -
Growth of Standardized Testing
“A Nation at Risk” led to a call for more “measurable results,” which led to high-stakes testing becoming a huge part of education. It is easy to see the results from these tests so they seem to make sense financially. With No Child Left Behind, standardized testing became an easy way for people to make snap judgments about whether a school and its students were performing well. -
No Child Left Behind
Pres. G. W. Bush incorporated this as one of the many movements that grew out of ESEA. It was meant to increase the level of performance of students by getting everyone up on grade level. It punished schools with low test scores and rewarded those with high test scores with funding. -
ESSA
This is significant because it is the current plan for education. It is the Every Student Succeeds Act. A state submits their plan for how they will be successful. It give the power to the state, which appeals to many people.
