American K-12 School History Overview

Overview of American K-12 School History

• The evolution of American K-12 schools can be divided into three phases: colonial/early American schools, the common school era, and the consolidation era.
• The history is characterized by a shift from less standardized education to more standardized education.

Colonial and Early American Schools

• Education was primarily the responsibility of individual colonies or states.
• States often deferred educational decisions to districts and townships.
• Education during this time was highly localized and varied.
• Some New England townships used town money to establish one-room schoolhouses, subsidizing tuition for students.
• Rate bills were common, requiring families to pay tuition even at these subsidized schools.
• Academies provided more systematic instruction, but were generally accessible to wealthier families.
• Charity schools, supported by churches, offered basic reading, mathematics, and religious instruction, primarily for the poor.
• Dame schools, operated by women in their homes, provided daycare with some remedial instruction.
• Families sought education options that suited their needs and financial means.
• There was a lack of unification in education between the states.
• States and townships did their own thing

Insights from a Schoolmaster's Confessions (1839)

• The book provides insights into the realities of early 19th-century schools.
• Classrooms consisted of mixed-age students with varying levels of ability.
• Attendance was irregular, with students attending based on family needs and preferences.
• Teachers adapted instruction to the diverse needs of students, grouping them based on ability.
• Teachers faced the challenge of teaching students of mixed ability at the same time

The Common School Era (c. 1840)

• Reformers like Horace Mann (Massachusetts) and Henry Barnard (Connecticut) advocated for systematic public schools, then called common schools.
• The goal was to increase attendance at common schools through various reforms.
• Abolishing rate bills made common schools free for all students.
• Teacher training was standardized through normal schools to professionalize the teaching force.
• There were attempts to move schools away from the one-room schoolhouse model.
• Attempts were made to get more students in smaller classrooms
• Compulsory education laws were passed, starting with Massachusetts in 1852 and ending with Mississippi in 1917.
• State funding for education increased, making public schools more attractive than private schools.
• Public schools became more commonplace

Consolidation Era

• This era was characterized by larger, more systematized schools.
• Schools were divided into classrooms with age-based groupings.
• Scientific management principles were applied to curriculum and pedagogy, aiming for systematic and "scientific" teaching methods.
• Experts designed curriculum and pedagogical methods to standardize instruction.
• While promoting standardization, this approach reduced the teacher's autonomy.
• Desks got unbolted to the floor so that teachers could choose how the rooms would look
• High schools became more widely attended in the early 1900s, driven by compulsory education.
• IQ tests were introduced to sort students into different educational tracks based on ability.
• Middle schools were established to cater to the unique needs of adolescents.
• The SAT was introduced in 1926 to prepare students for college.
• The SAT being used for colleges had an effect on high school teachings
• This era balanced standardization with some differentiation in approach.