The History of Art Education in America by Sophia Irving

1821: The First Public School in the United States was founded

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:07:17 UTC

The first public school was founded in Boston, Massachusetts. It was called English high school. This school was created to prepare boys for success in business and industry. Girls were not allowed to attend until 1970s.

1800s: Closed-Ended Drawing Instruction

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:10:41 UTC

In the early 1800s art integration was integrated into public schools. Drawing was taught as a science since draftspeople and engineers were needed. A curriculum of "close ended" mechanical drawing was implemented.

1827: Massachusetts Makes Free Public Education the Law

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:13:25 UTC

All public schools are made free to all children. Although, schools are still segregated until the state banned segregation in public schools in 1855.

1837: The First State Board of Education

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:16:38 UTC

In 1837, Horace Mann was made secretary of the new Massachusetts State Board of Education. He advocated for non religious "common schools". His ideas became the foundation for the public education system that America has today.

1852: School Attendance Laws Enacted

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:18:57 UTC

Massachusetts enacted the first compulsory school attendance law and New York followed their lead in 1854. By 1918 all states made compulsory attendance laws.

1857: National Teachers Association

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:19:58 UTC

This year, the National Teachers Association was founded. Which is now known as the National Education Association.

1870: Art Instruction Required by Law

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:21:43 UTC

This year, Massachusetts made a law requiring art instruction in high schools.

1879: Establishment of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:25:07 UTC

This was a boarding school made for Native Americans. The philosophy here was "Kill the Indian, Save the Man." This was the start of the creation of 400 boarding schools in 37 states which forced Native Americans off their reservations and into these boarding schools so that they can assimilate into white American society.

1896: Plessy v. Ferguson

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:27:29 UTC

The Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision made "separate but equal" policies which would include school segregation.

1916: American Federation of Teachers

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:29:06 UTC

This year, the American Federation of Teachers was created.

1920s: John Dewey's "Child-Centered" Approach.

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:31:55 UTC

The "Child- Centered" approach was in response to the close ended art instruction previously put in place in public schools. The child centered approach focused on the needs of the child. Children were encouraged to express themselves in instructed art activities and experiment.

1925: The Scopes Trial

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:33:54 UTC

This year, John Scopes, a high School science teacher was sued by the state of Tennessee for going against the law to teach the theory of evolution.

1926: The SATs

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This year was the first year the Scholastic Aptitude Test was put into place.

1931: Alvarez v. the Board of Trustees

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:36:21 UTC

This decision forbid the Lemon Grove school distort from placing Mexican American students into a separate, segregated school.

1938: Fair Labor Standard Act

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This act set limits on what types of jobs children can work and how many hours they can work.

1946: National School Lunch Act

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:39:14 UTC

This year a National School Lunch Program was established. This act was federally funded and provided low cost or free lunches to low-income students.

1947: Viktor Lowenfeld and Art Education

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:41:22 UTC

Viktor Lowenfeld focused on art as being a humanizing and therapeutic activity for children. He saw that the freedom of expression was important for creativity.

1957: Brown v. Board of Education

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Public schools may not prevent minority students from attending white schools. "Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal".

1957: Sputnik Launched: Back to Basics

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:45:37 UTC

The public is scared because of the launch of Sputnik. Public education responds with a "Back to Basics" approach for the benefit of the social order. Art is seen as "soft" and lacking in substance.

1957: Federal Troops Enforce Racial Integration at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:48:38 UTC

Nine African American students who become known as the Little Rock Nine, integrate the Arkansas High School.

1958: National Defense Education Act (NDEA)

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:50:13 UTC

Federal government invests in science and math education in response to technological advances by the Soviet Union.

1959: ACT test

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:50:49 UTC

This year was the first year the ACT test was implemented.

1960: Back to Basics in Art

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:53:45 UTC

Art instruction takes the "Back to Basics" approach because art is seen as too soft. There was a switch between the experimental child centered approach to a movement of presenting art as a body of knowledge which focused on content and structure. This is now known as the "Discipline Centered" art education.

1962: Engel v. Vitale

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:54:46 UTC

This Supreme Court decision stated that prayer in public schools is unconstitutional.

1964: Founding of the Association for Children with Learning Disabilities

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This is now known as the Leaning Disabilities Association of America.

1964: Passage of the Civil Rights Act

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 03:58:27 UTC

The Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, or religious and ends segregation in public spaces.

1965: Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act

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This law established funding for low- income and migrant students.

1972: Title IX of the Education Amendments

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Prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs and sports.

1972: The Indian Education Act

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This law established the Office of Indian Education at the Department of Education and provides federal funds for American Indian and Alaska Native education at all grade levels.

1974: Equal Education Opportunities Act

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 04:05:40 UTC

All children, regardless of race, color, sex, or national origin are entitled to equal education opportunity. Also requires adequate services for English Learners.

1974: Miliken v. Bradley

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 04:07:08 UTC

This law allows the perpetuation of geographic segregation in public education.

1975: Education for All Handicapped Children Act

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This law requires that states offer free, appropriate public education to all children regardless of their disabilities.

1980: DBAE

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 04:10:43 UTC

DBAE stands for Discipline Based Art Education. This made art instruction more similar to instruction in other academic subjects. DBAE focused on 4 components: production, criticism, aesthetics, and art history.

1984: Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 04:12:54 UTC

Expands access to high quality career and technical education programs, particularly for students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students, and other special populations.

1990: Americans with Disabilities Act

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 04:14:07 UTC

Prohibits discrimination based on disability status for public services, programs, or activities and public accommodations, including schools.

1990s: DBAE Evolves

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 04:16:13 UTC

DBAE evolves by the inclusion of Multi- Cultural Education Philosophies. Art teachers try to balance the subject and child centered approaches and the needs of society.

1994: Improving America's Schools Act

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Requires every state to establish academic standards and assessments including art education.

2000s: Educate America Act

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This act identified the arts as "core subjects" equal in importance to the academic subjects, and mandating their teaching in grades K-12.

2009: Launch of the Common Core State Standards

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Forty six states and the District of Columbia adopt the standards.

2014: New National Visual Arts Standards

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The new and updated national visual arts standards are released.

2017: Andrew F. v. Douglas County School District

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This decision required schools to offer students with disabilities individualized education programs (IEPs) designed for them "to make progress appropriate in light of their circumstances."

2022: First Fully Universal Education Savings Account (ESA)

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 04:28:05 UTC

All students in Arizona, regardless of income or disability status, are eligible to use public state tax revenue for private educational expenses.

2023: Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and University of North Carolina

sophiairving — 2024-04-26 04:29:09 UTC

Race-based affirmative action in college admissions declared unconstitutional.