United States Educational Timeline

Taney, Rebecca
Education 202
Section: 1001
Sunday February 28, 2016
Educational 202 Portfolio Artifact #1: US Educational Timeline
1600’s – The Colonial Period

 Focus of Period and Philosophy: Early colonial education focused around the home.
Family was the primary source for learning reading, values, manners, social graces,
and vocational skills. As home instruction became more specialized, some women
devoted themselves to teaching by converting their homes into schools.
 Curriculum Focus: The focus of educational philosophy during the colonial period
was to further religious goals. Schools “provided a path to heaven, and reading,
writing, and moral developments all revolved around the Bible” (121). Education,
primarily offered to wealthy white males, allowed for girls who made it to the
schoolroom to “stay in school for only a year or two to learn to read the Bible so that
she could be a better wife and mother.” (121). After learning the rudiments of reading
and writing, girls were taught handicrafts, learned to stitch, and learned to reproduce
and attractively display religious sayings in order to become good Christian wives
and mothers.
 Curriculum Materials:
o The Hornbook – consisted of an alphabet sheet covered by a thin, transparent
sheet made from cow’s horn tacked to a paddle-shaped piece of wood and
often hang by a leather strap around the student’s neck.
1
Taney, Rebecca
Education 202
Section: 1001
o The New England Primer – was a tiny 2 ½ inch by 4 1/2-inch book
containing 50 to 100 pages of alphabet, words, and small verses accompanied
by woodcut illustrations. It was virtually the only reading text used in colonial
schools from 1687 until 1890.
 Laws and Acts Passed (dealing with education):
o In 1642, Puritan’s (in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts) passed a law
requiring checks on parents and masters of apprenticeships periodically to
ensure the proper teaching of the children.
o The Massachusetts Law of 1647 (Old Deluder Satan Law) required that:
 Every town of fifty households must appoint and pay a teacher of
reading and writing.
 Every town of one hundred households must provide a (Latin)
grammar school to prepare youth for the university, under penalty of
£5 (pounds) for failure to do so.
 Historical Developments (Important Events):
o Dame Schools – private schools taught by women in their homes that offered
childcare for working parents willing to pay a small fee where they taught
reading, writing, and computation.
2
Taney, Rebecca
Education 202
Section: 1001
o Apprenticeship Programs – taught skilled crafts, managing farms and shops,
as well as, reading, writing, and vocational skills to boys as young as seven.
While the master served in loco parentis – in place of the child’s parent.
o In 1635, Puritans establish their first Latin Grammar school in Boston – an
exclusive “prep” school for boys of wealth between the ages of seven and
fourteen. They emphasized a classical curriculum, including Latin and some
Greek.
o A year later in 1636, Harvard College opens with the goal of helping to
prepare ministers.
o Important People:
 Comenius (1592-1670) – helped identify the developmental stages of
learning in his support of universal education.
 Christopher Lamb – was a colonial teacher, who after five years of
apprenticing under his own master teacher, rejected the rod approach
used commonly in classrooms. He believed that “using the children to
provide rewards and punishments was far more effective then welts
and bruises…” (121). His unorthodox approach to teaching represents
the revolutionary step some forward thinking that some educators
displayed in this particular period.
3
Taney, Rebecca
Education 202
Section: 1001
1700’s – A New Nation Shapes Education

 Focus of Period and Philosophy: As the United States grew, so did its need for a
broader, nonsectarian education. While educational institutes were still barred to
Native American children and children of color, some started to see the need of
widespread education for all economic and social classes.
 Curriculum Focus:
o In the Middle colonies, “the development of commerce and mercantile
demands promoted the formation of private schools devoted to job training”
(123). In places like Philadelphia and New York, private teachers and night
schools start teaching accounting, navigation, French and Spanish.
o Meanwhile, in the Southern colonies, wealthy plantation owners hired tutors
to teach their children “not only basic academic skills but also the social
graces appropriate to their station in life – the proper way to entertain guest
and how to “manage” slaves using text like The Complete Gentleman” (123).
o Wealthy male students seeking higher levels of education went to Europe.
o In 1740, South Carolina prohibits the education of slaves (and many states
follow suit.)
4
Taney, Rebecca
Education 202
Section: 1001
o Land Ordinance Act of 1785 & the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 required
townships… to reserve a section of land for educational services.
o The First Amendment (1791) protects freedom of speech and religion. The
establishment clause prohibits government (including schools) advancement
of religion.
o The Fourth Amendment (1792) protects basic privacy and security.
o Local Schools – were schools opened to those who could afford them. They
taught basic skills religion.
o Itinerant Schools – itinerant teachers carried schooling from village to
village; they lived in people’s homes and provided instruction.
o English Grammar Schools – these private schools moved away from
classical Latin tradition to more studies that are practical. They prepared
young individuals for business careers and focused on instilling social graces.
o The Franklin Academy (1751) – was a new kind of secondary school
offering an education free of religious influence with a variety of practical
subjects like mathematics, astronomy, athletics, navigation, dramatics, and
bookkeeping. Students were able “to choose some of their courses, thus
setting the precedent for elective courses and programs at the secondary level.
It was open to both white boys and girls who could afford the tuition. It was
the start of numerous other academies throughout the early nation.
5
Taney, Rebecca
Education 202
Section: 1001
o Important People:
 Thomas Jefferson – was one of the first to want to educate more
than a small elite class. He also wanted to provide more than only
religious instruction. He maintained that education should be more
widely available to white children from all economic and social
classes.
 Benjamin Franklin – through his publication, Proposals Relating to
the Youth of Pennsylvania, helped to establish a new kind of
secondary school to replace the Latin grammar school.
 Together, these men represent the dream of an educational program
open to both rich and poor white Americans that taught nonsectarian
studies that would one day become widely established practices.
 Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) – helped to establish kindergarten as
an integral part of a child’s education.
6
Taney, Rebecca
Education 202
Section: 1001
1800’s – The Common School Movement

 Focus of Period and Philosophy: As the democratic ideal become stronger and more
popular so did the demand for greater participation in democracy and for educational
access. Known as the Common School Movement, it promoted the idea that
education should be available to the common person. However, many private schools
and religious groups sponsoring their own schools protested the establishment of free
schools.
 Curriculum Focus: In practical terms, the focus of curriculum would produce
educated workers for both business and industry resulting in a more productive
economy. While in idealistic terms, public schools “should help us identify and
nurture the talents of the poor as well as wealthy children, and schools should
ameliorate social disharmony” (126).
 Curriculum Materials:
o American Spelling Book – replaced the New England Primer as the most
common elementary textbook. It contained the alphabet, syllables, and
consonants, rules for speaking, readings, short stories, and moral advice.
Created by Noah Webster in an effect to help standardize the American
language.
7
Taney, Rebecca
Education 202
Section: 1001
o McGuffey Readers – this text written by William Holmes McGuffey, a
minister, professor, and college president, emphasized the work ethic,
patriotism, heroism, and morality. Used during 1836-1920, over 100 million
copies educated American readers for the next 84 years.
o In 1823, Mississippi law prohibits six or more Negros from gathering for
educational proposes.
o In 1830, Louisiana, passes a law imposing imprisonment on anyone caught
teaching a slave to read or write.
o The Fourteenth Amendment (1868) protects the right to due process and
equal protection.
o In 1874, courts in Kalamazoo, Michigan ruled that taxes could be used to
support secondary schools.
o The Immigration Act (1880) barred future Chinese immigrants from entering
the country.
o In 1892, the National Education Association (NEA) established the
Committee of Ten to develop a national policy for high schools.
 The Committee went on to require that high schools taught required
courses four or five times a week for one year.
o Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) stated that schools could be “separate but equal.”
8
Taney, Rebecca
Education 202
Section: 1001
o Common Schools – approached education is a new radical way. They were
free and open to all social classes.
o Normal Schools – were schools devoted to preparing teacher in pedagogy –
the best ways to teach children.
o Freedmen’s Bureau, a federal agency tasked with providing various services
to former slaves.
o High Schools – were an extension of the Common School Movement to the
secondary level. They were free, open to all social classes, and provided both
precollege and career education.
o Important People:
 Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) – distinguished schooling from
education in his concerns with the stages of development.
 Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827) – recognized the special
needs of the disadvantaged in his work in curricular development.
 Johann Herbart (1776-1841) – contributed moral development in
education and a structured methodology of instruction.
 Emma Hart Willard (1787-1870) – wanted to open the doors of
education to women for promoting professional teaching preparation.
 Horace Mann (1796-1859) – referred to as “the father of the public
school.” He helped create the Massachusetts State Board of Education
9
Taney, Rebecca
Education 202
Section: 1001
and in 1837, he become the secretary in charge (similar to a state
superintendent.) He not only fought for the institution of public
schools, he also battled for better quality schools. He also initiated
“effective teacher training programs as well and promoted more
stringent teacher licensing procedures” (126). He opposed corporal
punishment in schools believing that one should positively motivate
students to learn. He also worked for the abolition of slavery as well
as the promotion of women’s educational and economic rights. He
represents the tremendous effort from educators to give access to
education to all children.
 Prudence Crandall (1803-1889) – helped promote bringing
education to African American girls.
 Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) – contribution to the vocational
education of black Americans and for establishing the Tuskegee
University.
 Maria Montessori (1870-1952) – helped identify the educational
potential of young children and constructed an environment in which
they could learn.
 Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955) – helped people of color move
from intellectual slavery to education.
10
Taney, Rebecca
Education 202
Section: 1001
1900’s – Teaching: A Gendered Career

 Focus of Period and Philosophy: Much of this era’s early focus and philosophy
about teaching revolved around the teachers themselves. Viewed predominately as a
male career, the first women “to become teachers in regular school settings, earning a
public salary, were viewed as gender trespassers, “unsexed” by their ambition, and
considered masculine” (128). However, by the early twentieth century, women were
the majority in the career. Schools preferred women who were spinsters – unmarried
and unlikely to marry – because the lacked the duel loyalties to a husband. For
women, the public feared that female teachers were “feminizing” boys while others
like President Theodore Roosevelt claimed, “so many white women were choosing
teaching over motherhood, that they were committing “race suicide” …” (129). On
the other hand, men had to deal with preconceptions “that held that effeminate men
were gay men and that gay men were naturally drawn to teaching” (129).
 Curriculum Focus: During the twentieth century, educational reform was the name
of the game. Educators wanted to strengthen student test scores and revitalize the
educational curriculum of high schools.
o Progressive Education – includes several components:
 First – it broadens the school program to include health concerns,
family and community life lessons, and a concern for vocational
education.
11
Taney, Rebecca
Education 202
Section: 1001
 Second – it applies new research into psychology and the social
sciences to classroom practices.
 Third – it is emphasizing a more diverse student body.
 The model assumes that students learn best when their learning
follows their interest.
o However, criticism of the Progressive Education was target by Senator
Joseph McCarthy’s anti-communism campaign. Many believed that because
students had control of a portion of their education that traditional elements
were lacking.
o In 1954, in court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (Kansas),
the Supreme Court amended its earlier “separate but equal” policy requiring
schools to desegregate schools.
o In 1958, Congress passed the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) to
enhance “the security of the nation” and to develop “the mental resources and
technical skills of its young men and women” (135). It supported the
improvement of instructions and curriculum development, funded teacher
training programs, and provided loans and scholarships for college students.
o Engel v. Vitale (1962) ruled it unconstitutional for state officials to compose
an official school prayer and encourage its recitation in public schools.
12
Taney, Rebecca
Education 202
Section: 1001
o In 1964, President Johnson and Congress passed the Civil Rights Act that
gave the federal government the right to desegregate schools.
o Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (1964) prohibits employers from
discriminating against employees based on sex, race, color, national origin,
and religion.
o Pickering v. Board of Education (1968) held that in the absence of proof of
the teacher knowingly or recklessly making false statements the teacher had a
right to speak on issues of public importance without dismissal from his or her
position.
o Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)
defined the constitutional rights of students in U.S. public schools.
o Title IX of the Education Amendments (1972) promises that no person in
the United States shall be, based on sex, excluded from participation in, be
denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under
any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
o In 1975, Public Las 94-142 (or the Individuals with Disabilities
Educational Act), required states to provide all handicapped children access
to equal educational service.
o Goss v. Lopez (1975) held that a public school must conduct a hearing before
subjecting a student to suspension.
o Wood v. Strickland (1975)
13
Taney, Rebecca
Education 202
Section: 1001
o Ingraham v. Wright (1977) upheld the disciplinary corporal punishment
policy of Florida's public schools.
o In 1974, The Buckley Amendment, or the Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act (FERPA), gives parents access to their child's education records,
an opportunity to seek to have the records amended, and some control over the
disclosure of information from the records. Students 18 years of age or older,
or students of any age if enrolled in any post-secondary educational
institution, the right of privacy regarding grades, enrollment, and even billing
information, unless the school has specific permission from the student to
share that specific type of information.
o Thompson v. Southwest School District (1980)
o Bethel School District v. Fraser (1986) upholding free speech in public
schools.
o Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1988) held that public school
curricular student newspapers that have not been established as forums for
student expression are subject to a lower level of First Amendment protection
than independent student expression or newspapers established (by policy or
practice) as forums for student expression.
o Franklin v. Gwinnett County Public School (1992) ruled that students who
are subjected to sexual harassment in public schools might sue for monetary
damages under Title IX of the Federal Education Amendments of 1972.
14
Taney, Rebecca
Education 202
Section: 1001
o Gebser v. Lago Vista Independent School District (1998) ruled that, under
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, damages cannot be awarded
in a teacher-student sexual harassment case unless a school official “who at a
minimum has authority to institute corrective measures…has actual notice of,
and is deliberately indifferent to, the teacher’s misconduct.”
o Bragdon v. Abbott (1998) held that reproduction does qualify as a major life
activity according to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
o Davis v. Monroe Country Board of Education (1999) ruled that, under Title
IX of the Federal Education Amendments (1972), school boards are liable for
failing to stop student-on-student sexual harassment under certain
circumstances.
o Owasso Independent School District v. Falvo (2002) held in favor of the
school district that students scoring each other's tests and calling out the
grades does not violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of
1974 (FERPA).
o In 1918, the committee members of the NEA repeated the process from
1892, focusing on transitioning students from high school into their adult
roles.
o In 1983, the National Commission of Excellence in Education produced a
report titled, A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform. It
15
Taney, Rebecca
Education 202
Section: 1001
cited the declining test scores and the weak performance of US students
compared to students from other industrialized nations.
o English Classical School (aka English High School or Boy’s High School)
– generally took the form of private, tuition-charging, academies. They did not
become popular until the last half of the ninth century in order to meet the
needs of a grower-industrialized society.
o Junior High Schools (grades 7-9) & Middle Schools (grades 5-8) – were
designed to meet the unique needs of preadolescents to prepare them for high
school.
o Charter Schools – are tax-supported elementary and secondary schools that
are free from some of the rules and regulations that apply to other public
schools. They have their own unique missions, instructional strategies, and
curriculum designs.
 Important People:
o Catherine Beecher – was an early feminist who implored female teachers “to
accentuate their feminine traits, highlight their domestic skills, and continue
their preparation for marriage” (128).
o W.E.B. DuBois (1859-1963) – cofounding the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and encourage black Americans to
pursue higher education.
16
Taney, Rebecca
Education 202
Section: 1001
o John Dewey (1859-1952) – was one of the most influential educators of the
twentieth century albeit one of the most controversial. During the 1920-30’s,
several schools took his lead and challenged traditional school systems. His
efforts allowed for children from other racial background to begin inclusion
into American classrooms.
o Jean Piaget (1896-1980) – is known for his creation of a theory of cognitive
development.
o Men like Hyman Rickover and Arthur Bestor, felt that Dewey’s approach to
education was impractical and called for more rigorous study of traditional
courses.
o Burrhus Fredrick (B.F.) Skinner (1904-1990) – contributed in altering
environments to promote learning.
o Sylvia Ashton-Warner (1908-1984) – helped place children back at the
center of the curriculum.
o Paulo Freire (1921-1997) – helped to mobilize education on a global scale in
the cause of social justice.
o Kenneth Clark (1914-2005) – helped identify and overcome the crippling
effects of racism on all American children and helped to form community
action against such a threat.
17
Taney, Rebecca
Education 202
Section: 1001
2000’s – Educational Reform

 Focus of Period and Philosophy: The focus and philosophy of this period was to
promote a more inclusive and racial diverse educational system. As well as rise, US
test scores and standards to match those of student from other industrialized nations.
 Curriculum Focus: The curriculum focus shifts primarily to standards, testing, and
both student and teacher accountability.
 Curriculum Materials: One of the greatest changes in curriculum materials is the
benefit of computers and the Internet. Between the interactive features one can utilize
for a classroom using today’s devices and the inclusiveness of today’s educators,
students have a greater access to educational sources than ever before.
 Laws and Acts Passed (dealing with education developments):
o No Child Left Behind Act (2001) passed in hopes of to increasing the
academic achievement of all students by helping schools and school districts
improve teacher and principal quality and ensure that all teachers are highly
qualified.
o In 2007, a Supreme Court ruling further backed away from desegregation
efforts by striking down plans in Seattle and Louisville that used race to
assign K-12 students to public schools.
18
Taney, Rebecca
Education 202
Section: 1001
o In 2011, the Federal Government modifies the BCLB allowing stated greater
freedom in evaluating students and teachers.
 Important People: Many of the individuals mentioned who started the careers
towards educational equality back in the late twentieth century continued to
contribute to educational reform into the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. Furthermore,
there are countless teacher’s right at this minute trying their best to help shape
America’s youth into the best and brightest individuals that they can be. It is through
their continued efforts that new educational pathways will emerge.
19

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Taney, Rebecca

1600’s – The Colonial Period

devoted themselves to teaching by converting their homes into schools.

o The Hornbook – consisted of an alphabet sheet covered by a thin, transparent

often hang by a leather strap around the student’s neck.

o The New England Primer – was a tiny 2 ½ inch by 4 1/2-inch book

containing 50 to 100 pages of alphabet, words, and small verses accompanied

schools from 1687 until 1890.

 Laws and Acts Passed (dealing with education):

o In 1642, Puritan’s (in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts) passed a law

requiring checks on parents and masters of apprenticeships periodically to

ensure the proper teaching of the children.

 Every town of fifty households must appoint and pay a teacher of

reading and writing.

 Every town of one hundred households must provide a (Latin)

grammar school to prepare youth for the university, under penalty of

£5 (pounds) for failure to do so.

 Historical Developments (Important Events):

reading, writing, and computation.

o Apprenticeship Programs – taught skilled crafts, managing farms and shops,

o In 1635, Puritans establish their first Latin Grammar school in Boston – an

fourteen. They emphasized a classical curriculum, including Latin and some

 Comenius (1592-1670) – helped identify the developmental stages of

learning in his support of universal education.

 Christopher Lamb – was a colonial teacher, who after five years of

used commonly in classrooms. He believed that “using the children to

and bruises…” (121). His unorthodox approach to teaching represents

the revolutionary step some forward thinking that some educators

displayed in this particular period.

1700’s – A New Nation Shapes Education

broader, nonsectarian education. While educational institutes were still barred to

widespread education for all economic and social classes.

o In the Middle colonies, “the development of commerce and mercantile

demands promoted the formation of private schools devoted to job training”

schools start teaching accounting, navigation, French and Spanish.

o Meanwhile, in the Southern colonies, wealthy plantation owners hired tutors

o Wealthy male students seeking higher levels of education went to Europe.

 Laws and Acts Passed (dealing with education):

townships… to reserve a section of land for educational services.

establishment clause prohibits government (including schools) advancement

o The Fourth Amendment (1792) protects basic privacy and security.

 Historical Developments (Important Events):

taught basic skills religion.

o Itinerant Schools – itinerant teachers carried schooling from village to

village; they lived in people’s homes and provided instruction.

o English Grammar Schools – these private schools moved away from

o The Franklin Academy (1751) – was a new kind of secondary school

offering an education free of religious influence with a variety of practical

subjects like mathematics, astronomy, athletics, navigation, dramatics, and

the start of numerous other academies throughout the early nation.

 Thomas Jefferson – was one of the first to want to educate more

religious instruction. He maintained that education should be more

widely available to white children from all economic and social

 Benjamin Franklin – through his publication, Proposals Relating to

the Youth of Pennsylvania, helped to establish a new kind of

secondary school to replace the Latin grammar school.

 Together, these men represent the dream of an educational program

studies that would one day become widely established practices.

 Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) – helped to establish kindergarten as

an integral part of a child’s education.

1800’s – The Common School Movement

 Curriculum Focus: In practical terms, the focus of curriculum would produce