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The first public school, Boston Latin School was established after a Boston Town Meeting. Later in 1789, Massachusetts passes a comprehensive education law and is the first state to do so. -
The first college in America, Harvard College was started as "New College." It was later named after one of its first benefactors, John Harvard. Retains the title of the oldest college. -
Oberlin College, founded as coeducational in 1833, was the first college in the United States to allow both men and women to enroll in baccalaureate programs in 1837. Oberlin was also one of the first colleges to allow both black and white students and did so starting in 1835. This college was started and continues to be affiliated with the Presbyterian church. However, the first public higher education institution to allow both men and women wasn't until 1855 at the University of Iowa. -
This test was the first multiple-choice question standard test designed by Frederick J. Kelly. This marked the beginning of the many multiple-choice tests given in schools today. Following this, the SAT was first administered in 1926 and the ACT followed in 1959. Link to the Test: https://hdl.handle.net/2027/umn.31951000827816z -
This act passed by Congress provides for free and reduced lunches to students whose families are considered low-income. Through it, the National School Lunch Program was established. This program is still in effect today due to the effect it had on the life of students. -
Linda Brown, a third grade black student who wanted to be enrolled in a white-only school was not allowed to do so. This case went to the supreme court, paired with several other similar situations. With a ruling that segregation in schools is unconstitutional, this set the precedent for the Civil Rights movement, not only in education. Video Explanation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1siiQelPHbQ&t=241s -
When the Soviet Union launched the first satellite into Earth's orbit, Sputnik, they subsequently claimed victory in the space race. This triggered a reaction in the United States that led to an increased focus on the STEM fields of education. Video on the Legacy of Sputnik: https://www.nytimes.com/video/science/space/1194817120962/sputnik-s-legacy.html -
The first of many to do so, the University of Phoenix began allowing students to complete both their bachelor and master degrees fully online. Even before 2020, a majority of collegiate students had taken or were taking online courses. -
The events of April 4, 1999 made the name Columbine recognizable across the nation. This was the first big school shooting and it triggered a nationwide panic. Twenty years later, schools prepare for school shootings just as schools prepared for atomic bombs during the Cold War. Article on the New Normal School Environment: https://www.insider.com/how-columbine-changed-american-schools-forever-2019-4 -
As the coronavirus took over and the World Health Organization call the virus a 'pandemic,' President Trump declared the pandemic as a National Emergency. This led to schools across the country shutting down for the remainder of the school year. Due to the distance, educators were forced to improvise teaching through online resources. Now, more education uses technology. Article on Distance Learning: https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2020/08/schooling-during-the-covid-19-pandemic.html