EXTERNAL INFLUENCES ON EDUCATION TIMELINE
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External Influences on Education Timeline
Kevin Thacker
EDUC 673 Curriculum and Methods for Effective Instruction
Author Note
Kevin Thacker
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Kevin. M. Thacker
Email: kmthacker@liberty.edu
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Abstract:
Cause and effect are massive thing in people’s lives. People learn and grow from it. There are
multiple external influences that impact and change education forever. Mostly all positive
impacts, with truly little negative impacts. These events caused a chain of events to help mold
the future of education. Starting from 1972 to current times will prove how external influences
caused events and impact education for the better and for the worse. Again, all these events
caused mostly positive and great life changing events for education. These events include, title
IX, A Nation at Risk, No Child Left Behind, Covid, and IDEA. These events are very impactful
to the history of education and helped mold what education is today and will be in the future.
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External Influences on Education Timeline
First Event: 1972
External Influence: political.
Summary of the Event:
Title IX “prohibits federally funded educational institutions from discriminating against
students or employees based on sex” (Onion, 2009) This event was not only for education
purposes. This involved equal opportunities for women and female students in other areas such
as, athletics, jobs, etc. For all sport males have in school, there must be a sport for females as
well. Therefore, there must be an even number of sports for both males and females to participate
in.
Impact on Education:
Onion explains title IX as, “any school that receives any federal money from the
elementary to university level—in short, nearly all schools—must provide fair and equal
treatment of the sexes in all areas, including athletics” (Onion, 2009) This changed the game for
education systems academically and athletically. This provided more opportunities in teaching
for women. This provided more opportunities for female students in sports, in turn provides them
opportunities for scholarships for colleges and then to turn that into a career.
Personal Thoughts on Influence:
Title IX was and is great for education and society. It is imperative for equal opportunities
for not only women, but for everyone. Everyone is different and can contribute to society, before
1972 potential and greatness was limited because women did not have those opportunities to
assist in society. Most of my impactful teachers were women. I also have drawn inspiration from
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women athletes. Providing the same opportunities for women as men helps everyone grow and
create a stronger society.
Second Event: 1983
External Influence: Advocacy Group
Summary of the Event:
Because of A Nation at Risk, this sparked school and business partnerships. This brought
business involvement with education. This article explains that “Our once unchallenged
prominence in commerce, industry, science, and innovation is being overtaken by competitors
throughout the world” (Congressional Digest, 1997) This event happened because America was
behind in many areas. This included businesses and education systems. This event changed
business and education systems around the country.
Impact on Education:
This helped grow schools. This helped schools with money problems and assisted in
expanding schools physically or academically. This helped offer more programs. This also
helped because it was a catalyst for many more policies created in the future. This helped
improve education performance. This helped involve others get involved in education to help
improve the system. Patterson explains that” This created higher standards for students to
achieve” (Patterson, 2020) This pushed people to discuss education and how it impacts the
country.
Personal Thoughts on Influence:
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This event was great because it was the start of revolution for both education and
businesses. This helped open the eyes of how our educational system needed to be improved.
Businesses got involved with schools and in turn helped grow their businesses with
advertisements. This helped schools because businesses provide money to help schools with any
funds on academic or athletic needs. This is great because we should always strive to become
better. This event did just that. It created many more events and actions to continue improvement
schools to this day. With improved schools provided better education for students which then
provides better opportunities for students after high school. This can be, job opportunities,
college opportunities, etc.
Third Event: 2002
External Influences: Political, Business
Summary of the event:
No child left Behind was advocated by the business and political community based on
promoting higher student achievement by state level. Other groups advocated for this for equal
and fair opportunities for all students. “The major focus of No Child Left Behind is to close
student achievement gaps by providing all children with a fair, equal, and significant opportunity
to obtain a high-quality education” (No Child Left Behind Act, 2021) Funding is provided for
schools to hire special education teachers and provide programs to provide students with equal
and fair opportunities to learn and grow.
Impact on Education:
This act “has had a positive effect on elementary student performance in mathematics,
particularly at the lower grades. The benefits appear to be concentrated among traditionally
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disadvantaged populations, with particularly large effects among Hispanic students” (Dee, p.150)
This act has driven improvements in student achievement. This has improved how teachers teach
and how teachers act. Dee explains that teachers do more research and have been acting better
and more for the students. The only negative impact is that costs per students are rising, but the
government is not supplementing the difference in costs. They are still providing the same
amount of funding,
Personal Thoughts on Influence:
This act and programs installed in schools is great. Without these programs, thousands of
students would not succeed in school and would not learn the skills needed to succeed or do
anything in life. That in turn effects the families because they either must take care of them
themselves or pay someone to do it. Or the parents leave them when they turn eighteen and they
become homeless because they do not have the necessary skills or to live life by themselves. This
act is great because opportunities are provided for all students and those students, English
language learners, special education students, can provide motivation to other students. Also,
“normal” students can provide motivation for these students in these programs.
Fourth Event: 2019-Current
External Influences: Political
Summary of the Event:
Campell says” Many schools transitioned online to reduce viral spread and promote
social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote learning may impact health behaviors
and coping strategies among adolescents, including reduced physical activity and increased
screen time” (Campell, p.1) This virus shut down schools for almost if not more than a year. This
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led to online learning for all students of all ages. All clubs and sports teams were cancelled.
Students attend class through zoom or google classroom, like facetime, and teachers teach
through a screen to students for hours. The government did not want the virus to spread,
therefore schools and more closed.
Impact on Education:
Covid has impacted education and students drastically. Students are learning online and
are prohibited from person to person contact and learning. With this in place, students’ education
and mentality were slipping. Students under college level could not keep interest in learning and
continued to fail classes. Students who were in class felt like it was too “easy” and learned
nothing. Not having in person school effected students who struggle with academics and who are
need of a in person teacher. Because sports were cancelled and not seeing people in person, this
affected students mentally and physically. Students became depressed, and overweight. Physical
education or physical activity correlates with education and the brains activity. Campell says,
“adolescents are developing poor health behaviors, such as reduced physical activity, less healthy
diets, and increased screen time, which may be harmful for their long-term health. This increase
in sedentary behavior has implications for poor health outcomes and obesity risk” (Campell, p.6)
Personal Thought on Influence:
Covid and the influence were good to cancel schools for a little to figure out solutions.
But the continued restrictions for in person learning and sports are really affecting and destroying
students and teachers. I am not saying some restrictions are bad, but schools who have shut down
sports and have no in person teaching is really affecting education. Students in k-12 need in
person teaching to grow and develop. Also, this limits the ability of teaching from teachers. They
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cannot incorporate as much active learning, activities and more. This takes the fun out of
learning, in turn students become disinterested. The amount of learning is limited with online
learning. Without physical activities and sports, this limits students mental and physical capacity.
Students create unhealthy habits and do not have the luxury of teamwork or learning great values
and skills for life. This also takes away opportunities for students to go to college or receive
athletic or academic scholarships. Some students in poverty-stricken areas take the opportunity
of athletic scholarships to leave poverty-stricken areas to create a life for themselves. The only
positive is that students learn independent studies and prepare a little bit for undergraduate and
graduate studies.
Fifth Event: 1990
External Influence: Political
Summary of the Event:
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was changed from the Education of All
Handicapped Children Act of 1975. This change allowed for the law to focus more on the
individual student. This was designed to ensure that students with disabilities are granted with
free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. It has six pillars which
include servicing students with Individualized Education Plans (Blanck, 2019) This governs how
states and agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to eligible
people.
Impact on Education:
IDEA focuses on provided students with appropriate education based on their individual
“special” needs. This helps students with special needs with opportunities to grow and succeed.
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IDEA pushes for an equal education for students with special needs. It ensures that schools
provide the appropriate services, tools, and environment for these students to succeed in life after
high school. It provides students with what they need to help them be successful (Blanck, 2019)
Personal Thoughts on Influence:
IDEA has changed many lives of students, families, teachers, and more. This program is
an important aspect in education. This allows equal access and opportunities to meet students’
personal needs. This allows them to learn life and academic skills for life. This provides them
with the tools and resources in a safe environment for them. Instead of letting them fail, IDEA
strives to help all with special needs. This is such a great and successful act/program.
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References
A National at Risk. (1997). Congressional Digest, 76(11), 258.
Blanck, P. (2019). Why America Is Better off Because of the Americans with Disabilities Act and
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Touro Law Review, 35(1), 605-618.
Campbell, K., Weingart, R., Ashta, J., Cronin, T., & Gazmararian, J. (2021). COVID ‐19
knowledge and behavior change among high school students IN Semi‐Rural Georgia.
Journal of School Health, 91(7), 526–534. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.13029
Dee, T. S., & Jacob, B. A. (2010). Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Fall 2010. The
Impact of No Child Left Behind on Students, Teachers, and Schools, 149–207.
Onion, A., Sullivan, M., & Mullen, M. (2009, November 16). Title ix enacted. History.com.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/title-ix-enacted.
Patterson Senior Communications Officer, C. (2020, April 22). Measuring the lasting impact of
a nation at risk. Walton Family Foundation.
https://www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org/stories/k-12-education/measuring-the-lasting-
impact-of-a-nation-at-risk#:~:text=A%20Nation%20at%20Risk%3A%20The,ill
%20prepared%20for%20the%20future.
Washington Office of Superintendent Public Instruction. (n.d.). No Child Left Behind Act of
2001. OSPI. https://www.k12.wa.us/policy-funding/grants-grant-management/every-
student-succeeds-act-essa-implementation/elementary-and-secondary-education-act-
esea/no-child-left-behind-act-2001#:~:text=Funding%20Contact%20Information-,No
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%20Child%20Left%20Behind%20Act%20of%202001,Elementary%20and%20Secondary
%20Education%20Act.
