Educational historical timeline

  • The Ursuline Academy of New Orleans

    The Ursuline Academy of New Orleans
    A Catholic school for girls sponsored by Sisters of the Order of Saint Ursula, it is "the oldest continuously operating school for girls and the oldest Catholic school in the United States.
  • First English Academy

    First English Academy
    Benjamin Franklin helps to establish the first "English Academy" in Philadelphia with a curriculum that is both classical and modern.
  • Noah Webster writes A Grammatical Institute of the English Language

    Consisting of three volumes: a spelling book, a grammar book, and a reader.
  • America's first state-chartered university.

    America's first state-chartered university.
    The University of Georgia becomes "America's first state-chartered university."
  • The Young Ladies Academy

    The Young Ladies Academy
    The Young Ladies Academy opens in Philadelphia and becomes the first academy for girls in the original 13 colonies/states.
  • James Pillans invents the modern blackboard

    James Pillans invents the modern blackboard
  • Boston English High School

    Boston English High School, one of the first public high schools in the U.S., opens.
  • Catherine Beecher founds the Hartford Female Seminary

    A private school for girls in Hartford, Connecticut
  • Massachusetts passes a law for education

    Massachusetts passes a law for education
    Requiring towns of more than 500 families to have a public high school open to all students.
  • The African Institute

    The African Institute
    Opens in Cheyney, Pennsylvania. Now called Cheyney University, it the oldest institution of higher learning for African Americans.
  • The Association of American Universities is founded

    Promote higher standards and put U.S. universities on an equal footing with their European counterparts
  • Joliet Junior College opens.

    It is the first public community college in the U.S
  • Ella Flagg Young becomes superintendent of the Chicago Public Schools

    Ella Flagg Young becomes superintendent of the Chicago Public Schools
    She is the first female superintendent of a large city school system.
  • Columbus Ohio School Board authorizes the creation of junior high schools

    Columbus Ohio School Board authorizes the creation of junior high schools
    Indianola Junior High School opens that fall and becomes the first junior high school in the U.S.
  • Congress authorizes the Works Progress Administration.

    Congress authorizes the Works Progress Administration.
    Its purpose is to put the unemployed to work on public projects, including the construction of hundreds of school buildings.
  • The controversial No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is approved by Congress

    Mandates high-stakes student testing, holds schools accountable for student achievement levels, and provides penalties for schools that do not make adequate yearly progress toward meeting the goals of NCLB.
  • The Higher Education Act is again amended and reauthorized

    Expand access to higher education for low and middle-income students, providing additional funds for graduate studies, and increasing accountability.
  • The Higher Education Opportunity Act is passed into law

    The Higher Education Opportunity Act is passed into law
    It reauthorizes an amended version of the Higher Education Act and includes major changes in student loan eligibility for people with cognitive disabilities as well as other changes to federal financial aid programs.
  • Minnesota adopt policy for transgenders to join female soprts team

    The Minnesota State High School League votes on December 4 to adopt a policy allowing transgender students to join female sports teams.
  • Chicago students head back to school on November 4th

    Teachers and lower-paid workers get raises and a commitment for smaller class sizes and more school nurses and social workers.