American Education Timeline: The Evolution of Schooling in the United States by Aleta Bess

1946

aletajbess — 2025-02-19 05:13:36 UTC

One of the first public school programs for teachers to learn about learning disabilities was established in Syracuse University in New York by Dr. William Cruickshank, a professor of education and psychology who had a strong interest in special education.

1635

aletajbess — 2025-02-19 05:16:22 UTC

1635 – The first public school in the U.S. (Boston Latin School) opened, but children with disabilities have been excluded from education for centuries. Students with disabilities are considereddullardsds," or waste, and kept out of school.

1817

aletajbess — 2025-02-19 05:18:46 UTC

1817 – The American School for the Deaf is founded in Hartford, Connecticut, becoming the first school for children with disabilities in the U.S.

1832

aletajbess — 2025-02-19 05:20:24 UTC

1832 – The Perkins School for the Blind is established in Massachusetts, pioneering education for blind students.

1848

aletajbess — 2025-02-19 05:22:35 UTC

1848 – The first training school for students with intellectual disabilities opens in Massachusetts. These schools initially focused on education but later became institutions that segregated disabled individuals

1870

aletajbess — 2025-02-19 05:24:20 UTC

As more students with disabilities were placed in these schools, public attitudes shifted. Many institutions moved from an educational model to long-term custodial care—meaning children were placed in facilities and often never reintegrated into society. The goal became segregation rather than education, and institutions became overcrowded with poor living conditions.

1883

aletajbess — 2025-02-19 05:25:25 UTC

The eugenics movement started influencing public policy, promoting the idea that people with disabilities should be separated from society to prevent them from having children.

1880

aletajbess — 2025-02-19 05:26:48 UTC

Alexander Graham Bell, a strong advocate for oral education, pushed for teaching deaf children to speak rather than use sign language. This led to a major shift in deaf education known as "The Oralist Movement.

The 1880 Milan Conference (an international meeting on deaf education) ruled that oralism (speech and lip-reading) was superior to sign language, leading to bans on sign language in many schools.

1890s

aletajbess — 2025-02-19 05:27:49 UTC

By the late 19th century, many institutions became overcrowded and underfunded, with little focus on education.
Schools and training centers began to classify students as "educable" or "non-educable," determining whether they received basic skills training or were confined to institutions.
Public schools still refused to admit most children with disabilities, forcing families to either send them to institutions or keep them at home.

1919

aletajbess — 2025-02-19 05:30:10 UTC

A court case (Beattie v. Board of Education) upholds a Wisconsin school’s decision to exclude a child with disabilities, reinforcing exclusionary policies.

Beattie v. Board of Education, denies the right of a child with cerebral palsy to attend school despite an intellectual capacity to achieve.

1970

aletajbess — 2025-02-19 05:30:29 UTC

Only about 1 in 5 children with disabilities are receiving a public education, and many states have laws excluding their enrollment.

1893

aletajbess — 2025-02-19 05:31:43 UTC

A student is expelled for inadequate progress in school, and his exclusion from school is upheld by the Massachusetts Supreme Court.

1948

aletajbess — 2025-02-19 05:34:41 UTC

The University of Illinois establishes the disabled students program, which becomes the model for disabled student programs and living centers across the nation.

1954

aletajbess — 2025-02-19 05:36:57 UTC

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas established that segregation of public schools is unconstitutional.

1966

aletajbess — 2025-02-19 05:38:00 UTC

Amendments to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act support the growth of education for populations with special needs.The Education of Handicapped Act was passed, but did not include protections for students with specific learning disabilities.

1967

aletajbess — 2025-02-19 05:39:47 UTC

About 200,000 people with significant disabilities are in restrictive, state-run institutions, where only their most basic needs are met. None are receiving education or training.

1972

aletajbess — 2025-02-19 05:40:27 UTC

Mills v. Board of Education established that children cannot be denied access to education due to limited funding. The ruling in this case paved the way for Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE

1975:

aletajbess — 2025-02-19 05:40:58 UTC

The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), now known as IDEA, requires public schools to provide free and appropriate education (FAPE) to students with disabilities.

1823

2025-02-19 15:16:30 UTC

Catharine Beecher began her first school in Hartford

1869 & 1873

2025-02-19 15:23:32 UTC

Her books ‘Miss Beecher’s Domestic Receipt Book’, ‘The American Women’s Home’, and ‘Miss Beecher’s Housekeeper and Healthkeeper’ educated millions of women about child care, home management, child care, and moral living. Women were taught domestic education for their future children (sons)

1829

2025-02-19 15:26:02 UTC

Women sought education as a means of self-improvement, economic security, and greater societal influence, even though opportunities were limited as a civic goal. Beecher argued that women were naturally suited for teaching and homemaking. She states that their education should focus on preparing them for these duties.