Educational history

Historical Education Timeline

By mmichel1

  • First Public School

    First Public School
    The opening of the Boston Latin School in 1635 paved the way for public education in the United States. Without the opening of the first public school, there is no starting block for the future of public education. The opening of the first school is one of the most significant events in the history of public education.

  • Pierce v. Society of Sisters

    Pierce v. Society of Sisters
    Pierce v. Society of Sisters provided the option of choice for parents on where to send their children. Many states had required compulsory education by this point while offering the choice between public or private school. Pierce v. Society upheld this choice and allowed future K-12 students to have a choice in their place of education.

  • Brown v. Board of Education

    Brown v. Board of Education
    Brown v. Board of Education is singlehandedly the largest step forward for equality in public education. While the ruling did not completely end the segregation of schools, it began the process of integration and for this reason is significantly more important than many other historical events. While the "deliberate speed" ruling slightly downplays the victory of Brown v. Board, the abolisment of "separate but equal" cannot be undervalued.

  • NDEA

    NDEA
    The National Defense Education Act is significant in both the history of public secondary education, but post-secondary as well. The NDEA provided massive amounts of funding for science and math programs at the secondary level alongside post-secondary prep for students considering furthering their education. It also established the beginnings of the student loan program for college students of the past and present. The granting of student loans is why the NDEA makes the cut.

  • A Nation at Risk

    A Nation at Risk
    A Nation at Risk helped shape the future of American public education by increasing the focus on standardized testing that we see in education today. It is this groundbreaking change of focus to testing that places the publication of A Nation at Risk above other historical events. Without A Nation at Risk the modern public education system could have an entirely different focus.