Federal education laws

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This article provides information about notable legislation related to education policy:

Notable federal legislation

• 1862: First Morrill Act provided the first federal aid for higher education by donating land for setting up colleges.
• 1890: Second Morrill Act gave the Office authority to establish a support system for land-grant colleges and universities.
• 1896: U.S. Supreme Court case, Plessy v. Ferguson, legalized segregation in "separate but equal" schools.
• 1917: Smith-Hughes Act extended federal aid to vocational education programs.
• 1946: Georgia-Barden Act established agricultural, industrial and home economics classes.
• 1944: GI Bill authorized assistance to veterans for postsecondary schools.
• 1954: U.S. Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education, outlaws segregation precedent set in Plessy v. Ferguson.
• 1958: National Defense Education Act (NDEA) supported loans for college students, improved science, technology and foreign language support in elementary and secondary schools and provided fellowships in response to the Cold War.
• 1964: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibited discrimination based on race, color or national origin in public schools.
• 1965: Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act gave federal aid to schools in poor rural and urban areas.
• 1965: The Higher Education Act authorized federal aid for poor postsecondary students.
• 1970: Standardized tests were given to public schools and the results are reported to the government and public in an effort to hold educators accountable.
• 1972: Title IX of the Education Amendments prohibited discrimination based on sex in public schools.
• 1973: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibited discrimination based on disability in public schools.
• 1980: The Department of Education was officially formed by Congress.
• 2001: No Child Left Behind Act program increased education funding and established standards-based testing reforms.
• 2010: Race to the Top program encouraged states to compete for federal grants in education.

See also

• Education policy