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Massachusetts Bay School Law
In 1642 the Massachusetts Bay School Law was passed, which mandated that all heads of households must teach their dependents to be able to read English. The Puritans, who settled the Massachusetts Bay Colony, believed it was important to have an educated society that was able to read the laws as well as the Bible. If the household did not comply, they could be fined. This was the beginning of compulsory education in what would be come the US. (Mass Moments, n.d.) -
Horace Mann Establishes First Normal School in the US
After Mann became the first secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education in 1837, he advocated for progressive education and professionalizing the teaching profession. He believed that the only way that schools could prosper was with professionally trained teachers in the classroom. Normal schools taught prospective teachers, especially women, to become educators. The Normal School movement established the professionalism and standards that teachers adhere to to this day (Wimpey, 1959). -
National High School Curriculum Established
The National Education Association [NEA] created the Committee of Ten to establish a a curriculum for high school education throughout the US. This is the beginning of the standardization of schools in an attempt to provide equal education. At this time high school education is not mandatory, and is primary geared towards young people from more affluent families and young men in particular who were aiming to attend college. (NEA, 2006). -
Brown v. Board of Education
This landmark Supreme Court case ruled that schools that were "separate but equal" were inherently unconstitutional. This decision led to the desegregation of schools is the US in an attempt to make the education system equal for all members of society. It would take years for schools to desegregate. Even in present day there are vestiges of past segregation, such as over representation of minority students being expelled or suspended and sent to alternative schools (Fedders, 2018). -
No Child Left Behind Act
When the No Child Left Behind Act was signed into law by president George W. Bush, the role of standardized testing in American schools increased drastically. The intention behind this law was to make sure that all students were receiving equal education. Standards were set by states to ensure proficiency in math and reading for all students and measured by standardized testing. This created a school atmosphere focused on test scores instead of students, which endures to this day.
