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Old Deluder Satan Act
School financing has its roots in the Old Deluder Satan Act of 1647. For the first time, the responsibility for educating children was placed on the local community and local taxes were used to finance education. Today education is still thought to be a community responsibility and, as such, local, state and federal monies continue to fund education. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The Brown v. Board of Education Topeka ruling of 1957 set the stage for equality and availability of public education. No longer would public education be accessible to only white Americans; it would now be available to all races. This legislation was pivotal in developing the integrated public schools of today and continues to shape public school diversity and inclusion initiatives. -
All Handicapped Children Act
The All Handicapped Children Act extended public schooling's reach to a wide range of disabled Americans; as a result, schools became integrated education centers. Today, special education teachers work with regular education teachers to provide specific individual education plans and integrate students into mainstream classrooms as frequently as possible. Inclusive classes for students of all abilities would not have been likely without the passing of this important act. -
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act was a landmark reform which brought to the forefront the importance of standards and accountability in closing the achievement gap in public schools. Public schools would have to improve the education of all students and measure that improvement in an objective way through testing. The idea of testing students to measure learning remains a cornerstone in education and has pushed schools to adopt education approaches that benefit all students. -
Common Core Standards
The inception of Common Core Standards was needed to build consistency into state education. The standards provided public school grades K-12 with a clear framework for evaluating learning and school performance, leading to uniformity in comparing performance across schools. This objective approach to assessing schools and determining classroom curriculum continues to be a cornerstone of public education today.
