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State Supported Normal School (Graphic: n.d., Lexington Normal School).
The first state supported normal school opened in Massachusetts in 1839. Normal schools, also known as teacher-training colleges, provided instruction in the areas of pedagogy and curriculum for teachers in primary schools. This brought a higher quality of teaching and a more consistent methodology to education (Wikipedia, 2020c, Normal school). Normal schools have evolved into today’s state colleges and universities. -
Montessori Schools in the U.S. (Photo: Crawford, 2018)
The first private Montessori school in the U.S. opened in 1911. The Montessori scientific method of discovery was initially opposed by public education in the U.S., but gained popularity in the 1960’s with the progressive movement of education (Wikipedia, 2020b, Progressive education). Charter schools that teach using the Montessori method have now become a significant part of the public education landscape (Mcgasko, 2020). -
Brown v. Board of Education (Photo: New York Times, 1954)
The Supreme Court ruling in the case of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 brought an end to segregation of schools in the U.S. Prior to this ruling, many districts, primarily in southern states, had separate schools for children determined by their race. The court’s decision was based upon the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution (Pruitt, 2018). Although it took many years to accomplish, this landmark case brought diversity of students and equal education opportunities to all schools. -
Individuals with Disabilities Act (Photo: Staff, 2018)
The Individual with Disabilities Act brought equal opportunity for children with special physical or educational needs. This landmark act took children with special needs out of institutions, integrated them into public school classrooms, and provided funding for schools to provide a least restrictive environment (Special education news, 2020). This significant change in 1975 began to form the foundations for our modern day special education services (Staff, 2018). -
No Child Left Behind (Photo: Wikipedia, 2020a)
The No Child Left Behind Act, signed into law in 2002, required schools to be accountable for student achievements. This was a significant move whereby the federal government put forth education standards and testing requirements which had previously been under the control of states and local school districts. Standardized tests became a federal mandate throughout the Unites States changing the course of many classrooms (Greenblatt & Smith, 2018, p. 408).
