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Willowbrook State School
In October of 1947 Willowbrook State School opened for special needs children. The school provided such horrible care for the kids that it rose public awareness across the nation that special needs kids deserved dignity. The event caused an upward spiral of living and learning conditions for children with disabilities to improve throughout the country. The school closed in 1987 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPvQpWEdxoY -
Brown vs Board of Education
The Brown vs Board of Education of Topeka happened in May of 1954. The US Supreme Court ruled that public schooling would no longer be segregated by race. This meant that everyone was allowed equal opportunity in education. This act ended up being one of the cornerstones in the Civil Rights Movement. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/brown-v-board-of-education-of-topeka -
Space Race
As Sputnik (a satellite) was launched into space, the Space Race started dealing with America and Russia. Since the USA was so focused on being a better and smarter country than Russia, schools in the U.S. focused on teaching science and math to students. The STEM education was given funds in order to ensure that their children were able to learn those two subjects properly and efficiently. It is believed that other subjects were almost put aside compared to sciences and math during the time. -
Little Rock Nine
In September of 1957, nine African American students enrolled into an all white high school in Little Rock, Arkansas. Their attendance of school played a huge roll in the fight for equal opportunity in American education. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym8rdtq-KBE -
Release of the ACT
In 1959, the American College Testing program, also known as the ACT, was made. This is a test made up of four subjects: math, reading, english, and science. This test is required to be taken by every student in the U.S. as it measures how well a student is prepared for college. This test also provides a common check point for colleges to look at in terms of acceptance. It is an extremely important test in America https://www.educationquest.org/blog/the-significance-of-the-act/ -
Title IX
In 1972 the Title IX Education Amendments Act was passed. This law ensures that no student, based off of their sex, is excluded, denied participation, and/or discriminated in any educational program or activity that receives federal financial assistance. Therefore, this act allows all students to have an equal opportunity to receive fair education free of discrimination. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html -
Standards Movement
The Standards Movement is a strong national effort to set certain clear goals for educational students. This act prepares students how to work in a high-tech economy. Schools change and base their circular off of pre-determined learning standards that each student should know by the end of every grade. https://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2445/Standards-Movement-in-American-Education.html -
Columbine High School massacre
On April 20,1999 Columbine High School went under attack as two students decided to shoot up the school. They killed 13 people and injured more than 20 others before ending their own lives. This event, at the time, was said to be the worst school shooting in U.S. history. After the horrible event, national debate on gun control and school safety took place. This shooting changed schooling in America forever. https://www.insider.com/how-columbine-changed-american-schools-forever-2019-4 -
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act became the national law for k-12 general education students. This law was made in order to hold schools accountable for how their students learned and achieved in academics. Overall this acts main goal was to provide fair and equal learning opportunity for every student. https://www.k12.wa.us/policy-funding/grants-grant-management/every-student-succeeds-act-essa-implementation/elementary-and-secondary-education-act-esea/no-child-left-behind-act-2001 -
COVID-19 Pandemic
In March of 2020, the USA went into quarantine as the Corona Virus spread throughout the country. Every school in the nation shut down and turned to e-learning. Here, students used "zoom", an online learning tool, to video call their teachers and class mates as a way of attending school. In the fall, schools reopened with multiple social distancing and health rules. An example of this would be all members on campus being required to wear a face mask. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzXtt-q8IUY
