US Education Historical Timeline Guerrero

US Education Historical Timeline

EDU201

Julie Guerrero

February 24th, 2017

Professor Bridges
US Education Historical Timeline Guerrero

Historical Timeline

US Education

1620 – 1750: American Colonies, Education was very focused on Religion.

 Curriculum was based on basic skills needed to learn catechisms and prayers.
 Teachers were not respected in the elementary level; respect came at higher grade
levels.
o Low pay
 Teaching was shadowed by the “real work, farming.”
 New England colonies believed that church, state, and schools were all to be
intertwined.
o This resulted in town schools learning how to read and write so they could learn
scriptures.

1636: Latin Grammar Schools- equivalent of today’s secondary schools was created.

 Boys enrolled at the young age of 7 or 8 with the intent to learn so they can later enter
into Harvard.
 These schools started as 7 or 8 year and on with no limits; they were changed to four
year schools.

1647: Massachusetts Act of 1647- also known as Old Deluder Satan Act

 Made requirements for small towns in education.

 Towns of 50 or more families required a reading and writing teachers.
 Towns of 100 or more families had to establish a Latin grammar school to prepare
students for Harvard.

1750- 1820: Revolutionary Period, Political view on education

 Multiple different Academies were introduced.

o Benjamin Franklin’s Academy had a broader more realistic focus on the English
language instead of Latin.
o Sara Pierces Female Academy was first formal school for girls to appropriate
knowledge.

1820-1865: State supported Common schools

1821: First state supported high school created. Opened in Boston 1824.

1837: Kindergarten (also known as “the garden of grow”) was introduced to increase growth with
activities and stories.

1837: Horace Mann accepts position as Secretary of Massachusetts State board of Education.

 Used his post to improve schools.

 Put forth a proposal of “normal schools” in the late 1830’s
US Education Historical Timeline Guerrero

 First public normal school opens in 1839.

17th to 20th centuries: Segregation in schools by race

 First recorded official ground for segregation went to the supreme court in Massachusetts in
1850.

1865-1920: Compulsory Education and Teaching

1865: Foundations attempt to provide schooling for African Americans.

 By 1869 more than 9500 teachers taught at Freedman’s to provide education to the south for
former slaves.
 1880 Washington helps fund an institute for higher education for African Americans.

1892: Appointed Committee of Ten to hold conferences to focus of main high school subjects.

1893: Appointed committee of 15 to examine elementary schools.

Early 1900’s women were in high demand to be teachers, even though women were looked at as 2nd
class.

1920-1945: Progressive era, highly influenced by philosophy.

 Teachers were to engage students though activity in their personal interests.

 Teachers needed to be talented in order to teach this way.
 Focus on education of immigrants and minorities.

1940: World War II brings high demand for Federal Government to become involved in education

1954: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

 A year later supreme court orders desegregation.

1958: National Defense of Education Act, new training was brought in to insure children were learning
key subjects.

 Congress extended the act for 3 years.

1960’s: Higher enrollment in public schools.

1970’s: Back to Basic’s to increase the amount of students learning to read, write, and compute.

1975: Education for All Handicapped Children Act.

 Movement to make sure all children have access to go to school.

1980’s: Educational Reform movement, “a nation at risk”.

 Schools were failing at achieving their goals.

 Movement for core curriculum.
US Education Historical Timeline Guerrero

1990’s: Focus of teacher leadership

 President Bush introduces new goals for education.

o With emphasis in Readiness for school, high school completion, student
achievement and citizenship. (pg. 170)
 1995-1999 President Clinton signs into law the implements Bush’s goal.

2000’s- present: New Century, new priorities.

 Equity for all students. All students have a right to a free education no matter what.
 Continuing to look for the best way to teach our children.

Works Cited
Parkway, F. W. (2013). Becoming a teacher (9th ed.). Pearson.