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Benjamin Franklin forms the American Philosophical Society
The APS helped bring ideas of the European Enlightenment to colonial America and promoted advancement in all fields of science. -
Thomas Jefferson authors Bill 79 "A Bill for the more general diffusion of knowledge"
Jefferson proposed a system of public education to be tax-funded for 3 years for "all the free children, male and female," which was an unusual perspective for the time period. They were allowed to attend longer if their parents, friends, or family could pay for it independently.It was significant because it provided a comprehensive plan for public education. -
Noah Webster introduced the first "speller."
Universal tool so all words are spelled the same way. It is significant because it is still used to this day and kept in many classrooms. -
First Academy for girls opens in Philadelphia.
First time girls were given a true opportunity to learn basic skills. It is significant because it led to many more learning opportunities for girls and women. -
Education becomes a function of the states rather than the government passed by the Bill of Rights.
Each state establishes different education laws and plans for education. It is significant because it provided greater equity for citizens. -
James Pillans invents the modern blackboard.
The invention of the blackboard had an enormous impact on classroom efficiency, and it is significant because it is still used today. -
First Public School Opens.
Schools becoming more common and accepted; leads to a nation of public schools in almost every town. It is significant because they provide education that is available to everyone. -
Massachusetts passes the first compulsory education law.
Targeted to help immigrants' children, prepares them to be skilled workers. It was significant because education was considered the primary vehicle for lifting people out of poverty, and school officials and teachers could act as front-line monitors for children at risk. -
Homestead Act
President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Homestead Act, a program designed to grant public land to small farmers at low cost. The act gave 160 acres of land to the head of a household who was and 21 years or older.They had to live there for five years.
It is significant because the wave of immigration forced changes in the nation's schools. -
Plessy v. Ferguson ruling "separate but equal" was legal.
Landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine. It is significant because ruling resulted in a major setback in the struggle for equality between races in the United States and set the stage for racial segregation within the South until the overruling in 1954. -
First Montessori School opens in New York.
Creativity for education accepted as a new way to learn. It is significant because Montessori schools have developed across the country and still exist today. -
John Dewey publishes "Democracy and Education"
Hands-on learning style accepted. It is significant because it advanced the progressive education movement. -
Brown v Board of Education "Separate but Equal" was unconstitutional.
Ends segregation in schools and beings to attempt to change the mentality of the nation. It is significant because it overturned an earlier Supreme Court decision, and it helped launch the civil rights movement. -
Supreme Court Outlaws Lord’s Prayer and Bible Reading in Public Schools
The Supreme Court today declared unconstitutional such religious practices in the public schools as readings from the Bible and recitation of the “Lord’s Prayer.” It is significant because it has cause a lot of controversy and debate and still does today. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
This law brought education into the forefront of the national assault on poverty and represented a landmark commitment to equal access to quality education. It is significant because it helped all students with their pace of learning, enforcing equal opportunity for all children. -
Title IX passed.
Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 is a federal law that states: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." It is significant because it ended discrimination against girls in all aspects of education. -
A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform
Described how America's educational system was failing to educate students well. It is significant because it recommended the schools become more rigorous, adopt new standards, and that teacher preparation and pay be reevaluated. -
Congress passed No Child Left Behind
The major focus of No Child Left Behind is to close student achievement gaps by providing all children with a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education. It is significant because it holds states accountable and makes sure all children receive a good education. -
U.S. Supreme Court case Zelman v. Simmons-Harris school voucher program
Ruled that school voucher programs are constitutional and do not violate the first amendment. It is significant because it gave certain students in this district the opportunity to attend participating public or private schools of their parents’ choice and receive tuition scholarship, or remain in their own public school with tutorial aid. -
The Higher Education Act of 1965 is reauthorized.
The act helps students who come from a low or middle income background attend a higher education institute. It is significant because the reauthorization of the act increased funds and programs for students who need it. -
Quest to Learn
In New York City, a new school opens that bases its curriculum off of games. This is the first school to do this. It is significant because it was a new concept and opened the door to new educational concepts in the future. -
Elimination of Common Core Education Standards in Indiana.
Mike Pence, governor of Indiana, signed legislation that would eliminate Common Core standards from Indiana schools. It is significant because over the years, there has been growing criticism of Common Core standards, and it was a difficult adjustment for students and teachers. It was not the way many teachers were used to teaching and not the way that many students were used to learning.
