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Period: to
Colonial America to Present Day
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Separation of Church and State
Separation of Church and State was mandated early on in the public school transformation. The first amendment is believed to be the reasoning behind the separation. This act made education move from a religious centralized education to one that was focused on diversity and preparing students for civility in society. The Separation of Church and State is still in place today which signifies its importance to educational history. -
Common Schools
Horace Mann is known as one of the first people to convince others that education should be universal and free also known as "Common Schools". Mann is often accredited as the person who paved the way for public schools today and believed that education would "society's great equalizer". If it wouldn't have been for someone like Mann, education may not have been viewed as universal or free to all in our country. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Claiming that segregated schools are in fact not equal, Brown v. Board of Education made it mandatory that schools would not be segregated. Schools up until this point were divided based on race and were certainly not equal in regards to educational standards either. This ruling made it possible for students of all races to be unified with one another for the first time in our education system's history. -
A Nation at Risk
The Reagan Administration published to Americans that they were A Nation at Risk due to being "behind" in regards to other international countries. The A Nation at Risk publications called for advancement in public schools and began the increased rigorous standardized tests. Often seen as a motive for political advancement, the A Nation at Risk report began the drive to be the best in and most advanced in the world. -
No Child Left Behind Act
The NCLB Act is a law that is known for raising accountability and standards for public schools. Teacher and student evaluations dramatically changed after the implementation of this law. Now, the government was investing funds into programs to assure high achievement of all students. This law also required new standards for education. The NCLB Act was the "first serious attempt" the government placed to hold schools accountable.
