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First Schools Are Established Amongst The Colonies
The Massachusetts Bay Colonies established a law that requires a town of 50 or more people to establish a school in that town. Towns with 100 people or more had to establish a Latin school. -
Founding of Harvard University
The first higher education school founded in America. -
The First Public Library is Established In Charlestown, SC
There was also legislation created to enodrse these public libraries. -
The First "English Academy" is created
Benjamin Franklin helped establish this school. It taught a mixture of contemporary and classical elements like religion, navigation, history, geography, and classical languages. This academy would become the University of Pennsylvania. -
Thomas Jefferson Proposes A Two-Track Education System
He stated that in order to be a functioning, enlightened republic, the people of the sociey must be properly educated. He also stressed the importance of the government's responisibilty to the public to educate the people. -
Noah Webster Publishes the First Spelling and Grammar Textbooks
Noah Webster was unsatisfied with the textbooks available to schools and published his own. It was a trilogy of books, one for spelling, grammar, and reading named "A Grammatical Institute of the English Language". -
Founding of The Young Ladies Academy
It would be the first school for women, foudned in Pennsylvania. The material was strictly limited to reading, writing, dancing, and religion. -
The First Public High School is Founded
It was named the Boston English High School -
Founding of the African Institute
This is the oldest higher learning institution for African Americans -
First Mandatory Attendance Law is Enacted In Massachusetts
By 1885, 16 states would have laws that would require school attendance. -
National Teacher's Association is Founded
Founded by forty-three teachers in Pennsylvania. -
"The Theory of Evolution" is Published
Written by Charles Darwin, this book suggests the idea of evolution, which would be controversial in schools to this day. -
Department of Education is Founded
It was founded in order to establish more structured schools. -
The Carnegie Unit
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching created a new system in high schools that made "seat time" into credits, therefore time spent in a class would determine if you pass or fail. This system is still in use today. This foundation also created the TIAA-CREF. -
The First SAT is Administered
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The G.I. Bill is Enacted
This bill allowed returning veterans to go back to college and recieve a university degree, which would create an outpouring of college graduates, many who became teachers. -
Brown v. Board of Education
This is an unprecedented Supreme Court case that stated that segregated institutions, especially schools, were not equal. This would being the long process of desegregation in the American school system. -
The First ACT Test is Administered
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The Rehabilitation Act
This act included the "504 Plan" as well as requiring public schools to give accomadations to those with learning disabilities. -
Columbine Shootings
These shootings would have a great impact on school safety as well as bring attention to the alarming rate in which school shootings happen. -
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA)
Enacted by President Bush, this act required schools to be responsible for student acheivment and for consequences to be acted upon if the schools do not reach certain standards. -
School Demographics Drastically Change
The number of minorities enrolled in K-12 schools outnumber the amount of non-Hispanic Caucaisan students. -
"Too Much Testing"
President Barack Obama stated that standardized testing has become too much and should only take up 2% of a child's school hours.