-
Massachusetts Education Law of 1647
MOST IMPORTANT: The Massachusetts government believed that everyone needed to be able to read the bible and understand common laws. This law required that towns with 50+ families hire a schoolmaster to teach reading and writing. Towns with 100+ also had to teach Latin. This law set up the precedent of free, public education that still exists in our country today. https://www.massmoments.org/moment-details/massachusetts-passes-first-education-law.html -
Period: to
Horace Mann
In 1837, Mann became the first secretary of the Massachusetts State Board of Education which was the first such board in the U.S. He adamantly supported nonsectarian, free education for all classes of citizens, by trained educators. -
Period: to
Frederick Douglass
A former slave who escaped to freedom, Douglass became an abolitionist leader. He advocated for the education of free blacks in their own neighborhoods without segregation. -
Period: to
Common Schools
These were the strongest years for public support of the common schools. They helped to establish an American ethic and identity. -
Period: to
Education in the post Civil War years
The end of the Civil War brought about new challenges and opportunity for education in America. Millions of freed slaves of all ages flocked to schools to receive an education they had been denied while kept in slavery. -
Committee of Ten
MOST IMPORTANT: Established by the National Education Association, the Committee was challenged with establishing a standard curriculum for American schools. They recommended 8 years of elementary education and 4 years of high school education. They recognized that high school should prepare students to be productive members of society whether or not they went on to attend college. This set the pattern for our current educational system. http://educationnext.org/the-traditional-high-school/ -
Period: to
The Progressive Reform Movement
MOST IMPORTANT: This pedagogical movement showed a shift in education from preparation for university education to experiential education. It emphasizes hands-on learning, critical thinking, and collaboration. John Dewey is one of the primary figures associated with American progressive reform in education. The influences of this movement are still seen in pedagogy and practices today. https://study.com/academy/lesson/education-during-the-progressive-era-reform-growth-of-urban-education.html -
The impact of WWII and beyond
During the war years, many teachers left schools to spend time serving their country. Enrollment in colleges dropped sharply. Schools also changed their focus to war-supported topics. After the war, the "baby boom" contributed to a significant increase in public school enrollment. -
Brown v. Board of Education
MOST IMPORTANT: This landmark Supreme Court decision officially ended segregation in American schools. They found that racially segregated schools could not provide an equal education for their students. These are issues that still impact us today. I cannot imagine what our schools would be like now if this law had not been passionately fought for and passed. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/brown-v-board-of-education-of-topeka -
NDEA and Sputnik
The launch of Sputnik in 1957 created such a stir in the U.S. that congress passed the National Defense Education Act in 1958. The federal government influenced public education by providing funding for math, science, and modern foreign languages. These subjects were deemed beneficial in creating future national defense systems. -
The War on Poverty
Both the Kennedy and Johnson administrations sought to alleviate the problem of poverty in the United States. Improving education was seen as critical for breaking the cycle of poverty. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
MOST IMPORTANT: This bill was the predecessor to No Child Left Behind. It began the mechanism to hold schools accountable for the education of their students. It pointed out the education gap of the poor and ethnic minorities. It set up Title 1 designation for schools to receive Federal funding. This designation is still in place today and impacts schools with high percentages of low income students.
(https://education.laws.com/elementary-and-secondary-education-act) -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
This national law changed education for disabled students in the United States. Schools were now charged with providing an education for all students within their district regardless of a students physical or mental disabilities. -
A Nation at Risk Report
President Ronald Reagan read the report that had been commissioned by the Secretary of Education, Terrell Bell. The report showed that test scores for high school students had been declining for over 20 years, that low teacher pay along with inadequate teacher training contributed to significant teacher turn-over, and that nearly 23 million Americans were functionally illiterate. -
No Child Left Behind
Signed into law by president George W. Bush, this law supported educational reform based on achievements from standardized testing. States were individually responsible for creating their own set of standards. By 2015, criticism had mounted against the act and it was replaced with the Every Student Succeeds act.
