History and Events in American Education

Three major periods in the history of American education are the colonial period, the early national period, the common school movement. Two major eras in the history of American education are the progressive era and the modern era. In 1762, during the colonial period, Rousseau published "L'Emile ou de l'education. During the early national period Thomas Jefferson drafted a bill that proposed the establishment of common schools in 1779. During the common school movement, in the year of 1839, Lexington, Massachusetts establishes the first public normal school. In 1895, during the progressive movement, the first achievement test was developed. During the modern era, in the year of 1964, the Civil Rights Act gave the government the power to enforce desegregation in schools.

All of these events have helped shape today's classroom in different ways. The drafting of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 has had a huge impact on education. The Civil Rights Act not only gave the government the authority to enforce desegregation in schools, but it also gave people who were previously discriminated against a better ability and opportunity to learn. Students who were discriminated against were now allowed to attend schools that were kept in better condition. They were allowed to receive a better education by being allowed to attend different schools. They also were allowed a better educational opportunity because they were no longer forced into being segregated. All of the students benefited from this because they were exposed to people of different backgrounds. The Civil Rights Act was a very important event in relation to dispelling discrimination in America. Although people were still discriminated against, this event definitely paved the way for many people to receive the education they deserve.

The Civil Rights Act is still reflected in today's classroom in many ways. Students attend school with people of all different backgrounds, and students are exposed to all different cultures. Discrimination, in and out of the classroom, has improved greatly since the Civil Rights Act was passed. Today's classrooms are a direct example of the "melting pot" that America is supposed to be. One of the most obvious examples of how the Civil Rights Act is still reflected in today's classrooms is the amount of students in public schools that do not primarily speak English. These students are still allowed to attend school despite their lack of common language, and they are not segregated. These students are still welcome to attend the same schools as other students. The Civil Rights Act made a positive mark on American history that is still apparent in today's classrooms.