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Education in Colonial Period
Court of Massachusetts Bay Colony decrees towns of fifty families must have an elementary school to teach Latin and Puritan faith. Other educational efforts include the Spanish Catholic priests building missions to spread their faith and 'civilization' to the natives. Also, the French Jesuit priests from Quebec to New Orleans were trying to educate. Most of the education during this period was religious based, and relied on the wealth of individuals to promote. -
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Colonial Times
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Jefferson & Webster
Thomas Jefferson felt the survival of American democracy depended on an educated people but suggests 2 tracks, one for the laborers and one for the exceptional. Noah Webster, the "Father of American Education" turns a new America from English pronunciation and text books to an American one and writes the first American primer, that supported Patriotism as well as a dictionary. He proposed a government funded 3 year education for all but wasn't able to see that dream fulfilled in his lifetime. -
Horace Mann
Mann was an American politician and educational reformer, and named the "Father of the American Public School". He traveled on horse back observing conditions in schools and found much to improve on. He standardized and improved school buildings, chairs, equipment, and curriculum. He also supported more teacher training. Perhaps, most importantly, he fought for a government funded, high quality, free education for all. This was finally put into law. -
Common Schools
Schools that were supported publicly for all children regardless of class, religion, ethnicity, or gender. By the Civil War organized systems of common schools were commonplace in much of the northern and midwest states. Common Schools took much longer to establish in the south -
John Dewey
Dewey was and American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer who promoted educational and social reform. He believed that education was a social experience and should be a place were social reform takes place. He felt that public education should teach children how to be better people and in a way that children could relate to. He promoted hands on learning! -
Immigration in 19th century
Immigration doubled in the early 1900's and created overcrowding in the common schools. The schools provided a place for immigrants to learn the language and democracy of America, but it caused problems when immigrants religious views differed from that of those who taught and wrote the curriculum. School became compulsory and number of teachers doubled from 1900 to 1930's. -
Progressive Reform Movement
In 1919 the Progressive Education Association was founded with the goal of reforming American education. States must now provide transportation for children to get to school. This was a time of Social and political reform in America. This movement brought increased awareness and efforts in providing education and voting rights to all. High school level education was promoted for all and new opportunities made available. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
Originating in Topeka, Kansas, thirteen families filed a law suit against the Board of Education that went to the Supreme Court asking for the end of legal segregation in the public schools and won. This was the pivotal point in American History. This legistlation did not immediately make the segregation problems go away. Many African American teachers were displaced and the military was required to inforce the law. Segregation continued within schools even when whites and blacks attended. -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act was a landmark civil rights legislation in the US that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This meant that all programs and activities that were funded by the Federal Government must be open to everyone. Those receiving federal funds included 16,000 local education systems, 3200 colleges, and many other institutions such as libraries and museums. This equalized grading, class assignments, financial aid, admissions, and housing. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
This Act was passed as part of President Lyndon Johnson's "War on Poverty". It provided federal funds to help low-income students. This resulted in the initiation of educational programs such as Title 1 and bilingual education. It emphasized equal access to education, and set higher standards for academic preformance while demanding accountability from schools. ESEA promoted programs for disabled, advanced placement, migrants, homeless, and American Indians as well as others. -
IDEA
IDEA, or Individuals with Disablilities in Education Act, was originally called Education of All Handicapped Children. Prior to this legislation most handicapped children were institutionalized and only about 1/5 received any kind of education. They were not welcome in public schools but actually excluded by law. This landmark legistlation required a free, appropriate public education, suited to a specific students' need in the least restrictive environment for that child. -
Standards Movement
In the late 1970's and early 1980's large amounts of employment opportunties were moved offshore because the labor was cheeper. The economic results provided pressure on the American education system to change. Governments moved to a business stlye approach to education giving more freedom for expendures but requiring observable results. This lead to the standards driven model of instruction and testing. This put tons of pressure on teachers and schools to "test" well. -
A Nation at Risk Report
In 1983, the National Commission on Excellence in Education reported that the American public schools were in a landslide to failure because of academic mediocraty and poor teacher training. This sparked a wave of local, state, and federal reform efforts. The report made recommendations for expanding high school requirements (including computer training), lengthening school days, being aware against grade inflation, and well as discussing the Federal Governments role in ensuring compliance. -
School Choice
In 1991 Massachusettes made the first law granting money for charter schools. The Reagen administration pushed for 'vouchers' which would allow students flexibility in were the federally funded education could take place. Although contraversial, many believe that the competition for funds helps improve preformance in the educational system. They are still being reviewed as curriculum is not under the strict federal guidlines. -
No Child Left Behind
NCLB is a controversial act approved by Congress reauthorizing ESEA and replacing the Bilingila Education Act. More critically is mandates high-stakes student testing as a means of holding schools accountable for student achievement. It ensures financial penalties for shcools that do not make adequate yearly progress toward meetin the goals NCLB. States are required to set there own Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), but they must be consistant with Federal law.
