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Massachusetts Education Law of 1642
When they came to the new world, the Massachusetts Bay Colony passed the first education law. It stated that children were required to learn to read and write. It was largely promoted by puritans who believed that it was a necessity for children to be able to read the bible. They passed a second law in 1647 because they were worried that parents were ignoring the first law. -
#1 MOST IMPORTANT Thomas Jefferson pushes for educational reform
Thomas Jefferson Educational Reform
Thomas Jefferson believed that the only way the United States could truly have democracy is if everyone was able to make educated decisions about how the country ran. He was the first to push for free public education. Without Jefferson sparking the idea, we wouldn't have the public education system we have today. Having educated voters is still important. -
Webster's Blue Back Speller
Noah Webster wanted British textbooks out of America. The U.S. was a new country, freed from the tyranny of England, and he didn't want British influence in the country any longer.He developed the Blue Back speller in an effort to set American education apart from British education. "Webster's" is popularly known today as a dictionary, it originally derives from Noah's "An American Dictionary of English Language". -
Northwest Land Ordinance
Several land ordinances were passed during the 1780's. The most important being the Northwest Land Ordinance. It set the basis for government in the Northwest Territory. Education was provided for under this ordinance. -
#2 MOST IMPORTANT Horace Mann becomes the first Secretary of Education
Horace Mann
Horace Mann would ride on horseback from district to district inspecting the schoolhouses. He produced annual reports on his work and what he believed should happen to education in the the U.S. He believed heavily in the Common School. Mann thought that it would be the "great equilizer" that the country needed. He dreamed of a high quality, free school system funded by tax dollars. Mann's dream is a reality today. -
#3 MOST IMPORTANT Commitee of Ten
N.E.A. Commitee of Ten
The Commitee of Ten was important because it set up the first curriculum for American High schools. Some people believed that the high school should only be for those who were preparing for college. The curriculum set up by the commitee allowed for not only the preperation of college, but it prepared students to succeed in life in general. It set the tone for the way U.S. high school's operate today. -
John Dewey: The New School of Social Research
In 1919, John Dewey and other colleagues founded the New School of Social Research. The New School is still open today. It is a progressive experimental school that focuses on the free exhange of intellectual ideas. After founding the school, John Dewey traveled around the world giving lectures about educational reform. -
World War II Ends
Following World War II, America experienced a "baby boom". This caused a spike in the population, which meant that there needed to be more schools and more teachers to accomodate all the children. Because the need of teachers was so high, the requirements for teacher training were lowered. Higher education also saw an increase in students due to the G.I. bill providing subsidies for veterans. -
#4 MOST IMPORTANT Brown vs Board of Education
History- Brown vs. BoardThis is one of the most influential moments in American history. Not only did it have a huge impact on the education system, but it spurred civil rights movements that lead to the racial equality that we see in our country today. Without the banning of racial segregation, it could possibly still be around. We now see so much diversity within our schools, which is wonderful. Racial equality will always be controversial, but Brown vs Board helped us take huge steps towards a better country. -
Sputnik
Sputnik was a sattelite developed by the Soviets. Because of America's need to keep up with the rest of the world, the fact that another country had sent a satellite into space caused a bit of an uproar. Sputnik promoted a higher focus on science and engineering in the U.S. We felt that we weren't meeting the standards set by the world in those areas. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
ESEA was signed into law by President Lyndon Baines Johnson. He belived that "full educational oppourtunity" should be "our first national goal." The law provided a multitude of resources. Special education centers, scholarships for low-income students heading to college, and grants for low-income districts were provided through ESEA. It has been reauthorized throughout the years and still has a huge influence on our education system. -
IDEA
The Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act was enacted on November 29th, 1975 by President Gerald Ford. It was originally called the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Because of IDEA classrooms have become more inclusive. Today, about 60% of students with disabilities spend 80% of their school day in a general ed. classroom. IDEA is responsible for this. -
#5 MOST IMPORTANT Ronald Reagan "A Nation at Risk"
'A Nation at Risk' turns 30"A Nation at Risk" is a landmark in American education history. Throughout 36 pages, Ronald Reagan chastises education in the U.S. even calling it "mediocre". This spurred educators to try to meet the rigorous demands. It eventually led to No Child Left Behind, another controversy in education. We are still seeing the effects of "A Nation at Risk" in our schools. -
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
The NCLB Act of 2001 wasn't actually signed into law until Jan. 8th 2002. It is a reauthorization of the ESEA. It sparked a lot of controversy within the country, and continues to be a controversial topic today. It grew from the concern that American students aren't internationally competitive. It put emphasis on boosting scores of certain groups of students, such as ELL's and low-income students. -
Race to the Top Program
Barack Obama's "Race to the Top" invited schools to compete for 4.35 billion dollars in extra funding based off of their student's test scores. This has raised the emphasis on standardized testing even further. Obama offered even more incentives in 2010 with a proposed overhaul of NCLB. These incetives were based off of assesments that were closely tied to state standards, graduation rates, and pupil attendence. "Race to the Top" has caused controversy throughout the country.
