United States Educatio

Events

Latin Grammar Schools

1635

Early schools, that in the US, originated in Boston. They were originally boys only and heavily focused on the classics and the Latin language.

Massachusetts Act

1642

This was a Law that stated that children must receive an education that teaches principles of religion and laws of the land.

Old Deluder Act

1647

This was a law passed to ensure the education of all young children and teens so Satan would not keep them from growing in God’s Word. The people of this time believed that Satan used the lack of education to keep people from reading the Bible.

Benjamin Franklin's Academy

1751

Partly founded by Benjamin Franklin, this school was designed to be a classical school with modern influences. The school offered classes such as English, mathematics, philosophy, and various language courses

Pariochal Schools

1783

These were schools formed in a reaction to homeschooling. Parochial schools were connected to a parish or church and were focused on religious education

McGuffey Readers

1834

These were a series of graded primers for grade levels 1-6. They were widely used as textbooks in American schools from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century, and are still used today in some private schools and in homeschooling.

Horace Mann

1839

Mann was an educational reformer active in both state and federal politics. He was a proponent of standardized public schools for all.

NEA

1857

The National Educational Association is the oldest and largest professional association for American teachers. It advocates for educators and strives to create a professional standard of unity.

Morrill Land-Grant Acts

1862

A series of statutes implemented during the Civil War designed to ensure equal education opportunities to all society.

Freedmen's Bureau

1865

The Freedmen's Bureau was established in 1865 by Congress to help former black slaves and poor whites in the South in the aftermath of the U.S. Civil War (1861-65). It provided food, housing and medical aid, established schools and offered legal assistance.

Dame Schools

1880

Dame schools were small private schools for young children run by women. They taught the basics of education. They were in operation until the 19th century.

Dewey's Laboratory School

1896

A famous school started by John Dewey in 1896 created to test progressive styles of teaching. These styles of teaching were extremely contradictory to tradition as they emphasized critical thinking over random knowledge.

American Federation of Teachers

1916

Founded in Chicago, the AFT still exists as a primarily teachers' labour union. It promotes teachers and educational policies.

Brown v. Board of Education

1954

Brown vs Board of Education was a Supreme Court case that declared “separate but equal” education laws unconstitutional. This case established a tremendous precedent for integration.

National Defense Education Act

1958

U.S. legislation that gave funding to improve schools and to promote the secondary education so we could compete with other nations. This act was the beginning of the large-scale involvement of education by the government.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act

1965

This Act was committed to equal and quality education for all students. It offered grants to undeserved districts, federal grants for textbooks and special education centers, as well as scholarships to low-income college students.

Title IX

1972

Title IX of the Education Amendments Act was enacted to close the gender gap in education and education-related activities. This especially affected schools’ sports programs.

No Child Left Behind Act

2001

This was an act that meant to close the gap between poor and minority schools and their more advantaged peers. It put a special focus on ensuring schools would boost performance for students with special needs and minority/poor students.

Common Core State Standards Initiatives

2009

These were curriculum standards for k-12th grade to be implemented by states. Although voluntary, most states have implemented them.

Race to the Top

2010

This program was developed to provide development of rigorous standards, adoption of better data systems, support for teachers and school leaders, and an increased emphasis on and resources for the rigorous interventions needed to turn around the lowest-performing schools. Deserving schools are awarded grants to further spur innovation in education.