The Modern Era: Schools as Instruments for National Purpose and Social Change

6.1 How did schools become instruments for national purpose during the modern era?

• During the Cold War, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, and the US, thinking we were losing the technology war, authorized a five-fold increase in the funding of the National Science Foundation, created to support research and improve science education. Congress also passed the National Defense Education Act to improve instruction in math, science, and foreign languages. Education was called the first line of defense against our enemies by Admiral Hyman Rickover.

6.2 How were federal efforts during the Cold War similar to and different from its efforts to achieve racial equality in education?

• Both of them used federal acts in order to implement them. The Cold War efforts used the National Defense Education Act, and racial equality used the Civil Rights Act. Both of them also used federal funding in order to achieve their goals. Magnet schools are one example, which are given $100 million of federal funds.

6.3 What are magnet schools, and how do they relate to attempts to achieve equality in our schools?

• They are public schools that provide innovative or specialized programs and accept enrollment from students in all parts of a district. Math, science, and computer science are the focus of their curricula as well as high-quality general programs designed to prepare students for college. They were developed to integrate white and minority students, and they attract large proportions of cultural minorities and low-income students.

6.4 What is title IX, and how is it related to the concept of equality?

• Title IX is the best known part of the Education Amendments of 1971. Title IX prohibits any kind of discrimination based on sex under any education program or activity that received federal financial funding. This played a large role in eliminating gender bias in schools, with most of its impact on physical education and sports.