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Common Schools
Common schools were the first schools funded by the public. This opened education to all students, not just wealthy families. It became the first "public schools". The Common School Reform Video -
Carlisle Indian School Opened
This boarding school in Pennsylvania was the first government-run school for Native Americans. They forced Native Americans to cut their hair, stop speaking their native language, convert to Christianity, and endure harsh punishment. Their goal was to "kill the Indian, save the man". This school caused many Native Americans to lose their cultural identity. Carlisle Indian School Webpage -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Made the ruling that schools can legally be segregated if they are "separate but equal". Plessy v. Ferguson Video -
Brown v. Board of Education
Courts over ruled the previous Plessy v. Ferguson "seperate but equal" ruling and segregation in schools was now unconstitutional.
Brown v. Board of Education Video -
Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine were the first African American students to attend a previously all white school. At the time, many people did not agree with this integration and protested. Eventually, to help these students get to class safely the president had to send out the U.S. Army. Little Rock Nine Video -
Launch of Sputnik
The cold war had an affect on American schools as well. When Soviets were the first to launch a satellite into space, American schools began to put more emphasis on math and science within schools. This spurred additional funding going to science and math programs and encouraged students to take an interest in these subjects. How Sputnik Changed U.S. Education Article -
Title IX
The passage of Title IX protected students from discrimination on the basis of sex. It was illegal to discriminate in school athletics, financial aid, counseling, admissions, or the treatment of students. Women's Education Video -
Women's Educational Equity Act
WEEA was passed to support girls in math, science, and athletic programs and teachers were given training to increase awareness of the gender bias within schools. Women's Equity Article -
Standards Movement
There was a large push in America to develop school standards so that every school had a comparable learning experience. By creating standards for education, this also brought along standardized testing that is still used today. Standards Movement Article -
No Child Left Behind Act
This set government test standards that students must reach. It was put in place to help disadvantage students reach the same goals as others. NCLB Summary
