U.S. History of Education


In "U.S. History of Education," students trace the history of the k-12 American education system from the one-room schoolhouses of the colonial period to the "Race to the Top" and "No Child Left Behind" programs of today. Students investigate major areas of theory and pedagogy, building a greater understanding of the local, state, and federal oversight for education as it related to funding and curriculum. Students also get the chance to put themselves into the shoes of the teacher, generating lesson plans based on the various educational philosophies they are exposed to in this course, from the traditional to the progressive.

KEY TOPICS
 
  • Education in the United States today

  •  Historical development of the school system

    • The Common School
    • Public Education
    • Segregated Education
    • A Nation at Risk

  • Educational philosophies

    • The Traditional
    • The Progressive

  • Contemporary issues in U.S. education

    • School Choice
    • Vouchers
    • Privatization of Public Education

Probing Questions

 

Was the one-room schoolhouse really successful?

How did we get to charter schools?

What is "No Child Left Behind?"

What is progressive education and how is it practiced at CSW?

What is compensatory education and why does the U.S. have it?

Final Project: Design Your Own School


As their final project, students are challenged to use everything they've learned in class to conceptualize, design, and pitch their very own school. In the process, they learn what it means to develop curriculum, apply for grants, market, recruit, hire, and navigate the red tape involved in getting a school certified and approved through the appropriate channels.
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CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.