TIMELINE OF DEVELOPMENTS IN AMERICAN EDUCATION
17th century
• In 1642, the Massachusetts General Court requires parents and guardians to ensure
that their children could read and understand religious principles and civil laws, thus
establishing the principle of compulsory education
• “Old Deluder Satan Law” (1647) requires towns of fifty or more families to appoint a
teacher of reading and writing. Towns with 100 or more families must have a
grammar school
• Education in all areas of the country is based on religion (sectarian).
• Dame schools, apprenticeships, charity schools and the Latin grammar school served
to educate young people.
18th century
• 1779: Jefferson introduces “Bill for More General Diffusion of Knowledge,”
proposing three years of public education for all white males. The bill was not
passed, nor was the constitutional amendment he proposed in 1806.
• 1783: Noah Webster published American Spelling Book to achieve identity & unity
through standardized American English.
• 1785: Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress enacts the Northwest Ordinance
of 1785, by which the territory is divided into townships of 6 square miles each. The
income from these townships is reserved to support the schools.
• 1789: Constitution of the United States is created. The Tenth amendment of the
Constitution (1791) leaves the responsibility of education to each state.
• Monitorial schools, Sunday schools, Infant schools and Academies were the
foundation for today’s public schools.
19th century
• 1827: Massachusetts institutes the support of common schools via compulsory
taxation. This is considered the beginning of the Common School Movement,
endorsed by Horace Mann.
• 1837: The American Dictionary is published by Noah Webster, eventually sells 15
million copies.
• 1842 Maclay Bill in NY separated religion from public schooling
• 1840 – 60 Women begin to join the teaching ranks.
• 1862: Founding of many land grant colleges and universities through the Morrill Act.
This act gives 30,000 acres of public land to each state for each senator and
representative it has in congress for the establishment of colleges for agricultural and
mechanical instruction.
• 1870 – 1900: The rise of the American public high school
• 1870’s: A series of court cases establishes that districts can support public high
schools with tax funds.
• By the end of the 19th century publicly supported high schools were part of the
common school system in every state.
20th century
• 1919: Progressive Education Association is formed. There were two branches of the
Progressive Education Movement, one focusing more on the child, one focusing more
on social issues and the reform of society. This movement continues until the early
1950’s.
• 1954: Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas rules that racial segregation
in schools is unconstitutional. This begins a broad civil rights movement.
• 1957: Sputnik is launched by the Soviet Union, leading to severe criticism of the
progressive movement for not focusing enough on the basic skills of reading, writing
and arithmetic.
• 1958: Maharishi inaugurates the Spiritual Regeneration Movement, with the intent to
spiritually regenerate the world in one generation. The National Defense Education
Act allocates funding for math and science curricula.
• 1964: Congress passes the Civil Rights Act, protecting voting rights and
guaranteeing civil rights in employment and education.
• 1965: Elementary and Secondary Education Act is passed, providing over $1 billion
in federal funds to education. Title 1 provides assistance to local districts for
education of children from low-income families.
• 1983: A Nation at Risk is published by National Commission on Excellence in
Education, claiming that American public education was swept by a “rising tide of
mediocrity.”
• 1980’s: Education Reform Movement advocates raising graduation requirements,
increased testing, emphasis on basic skills.
• 1990’s: Goals 2000 adopts goals of National Governors’ Association. With federal
support, content standards for P-12 students are developed by national professional
associations. Many states develop their own content standards and grade-level
benchmarks.
21st century
• 2001: No Child Left Behind legislation passed by Congress. This was a re-
authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
• 2007: Supreme Court disallows using race-based criteria to achieve diversity in
public schools.
• 2009: “Race to the Top” inaugurated.
