High school movement
Encyclopedia
The high school movement is a term used in educational history literature to describe the era from 1910 to 1940 during which secondary school
s sprouted across the United States
. During this early part of the 20th century, American youth entered high schools at a rapid rate, mainly due to the building of new schools, and acquired skills "for life" rather than "for college." In 1910 less than 20% of 15 – 18 years olds were enrolled in a high school; less than 10% of all American 18 year-olds graduated. By 1940, 73% of American youths were enrolled in high school and the median American youth had a high school diploma. The movement began in New England
but quickly spread to the western states. According to Claudia Goldin, the states that led in the U.S. high school movement (e.g. Iowa
and Nebraska
) had a cohesive, homogeneous population and were more affluent, with a broad middle-class group.
The United States exceeded Europe
in mass secondary education. The American system of education was characterized as open to all, forgiving, lacking universal standards, and academic. On the other hand, the European system was closed, unforgiving, with uniform standards, and academic for some and industrial for others. Secondary schools in America were free and generally accessible, while in most of Europe they were costly and often inaccessible with difficult entrance exams. In the United States, schools were provided by small, local districts. Because decentralized decision making system rose competition among districts for residents in the United States, the U.S. moved quickly in building school initially. In contrast, schools were provided by the central government as a national decision in Europe. Further, high school was designed to be the terminal degree rather than a pre-college diploma of office or skilled blue-collar workers in the United States. By 1955 80% of United States youth had graduated from an academic high school. In this setting general skills and social mobility were emphasized, not specific training or apprenticeships. Even by the 1930s, America was virtually alone in providing universally free and accessible secondary schools. While in Europe the rate of those graduating from academic high schools was only 10%-20%. Most Europeans, 40%-50%, attended full-or part-time vocational training.
From the viewpoint of economics, this movement led to the increase of women’s labor force from 1930 to 1950 in the United States. Knowledge and skills women gained in high school helped them attain better jobs outside the home.
Both men and women shared in the increase in educational attained during the 20th century;however, during the beginning and end of the century women gained more than the men did. Women began this period with more education in large part because they attended and graduated from highschool to a greater degree than men.Even though, women had an advantage in education for most of the century, the education advantage disappeared with cohorts born in the 1910s and 1920s. This is due to the fact that many men were able to attend college on the G.I. Bill. By men having this advantage over the women, we saw the number of men in college increase and the number of women in college decrease during the middle part of the century.
The increase in educational attainment was not shared by the African-American population, whose high school enrollment rates were very low, especially in the South. This is because school integration had not been achieved and there were few African-American secondary schools until the 1930s. The few African-American secondary schools that did exist were located in the cities and not the rural areas where the majority of the African-American population lived.
Surprisingly, the South wasn't the only area that lagged in the high school movement. Within some of the larger American cities, especially in the industrial North, high school enrollment rates were initially lower than the rest of the country. These large cities had a large inflow of European immigrants, who were not as inclined to enroll, and also there were many job opportunities for the youth, which kept them from enrolling as well.
The supply of educated Americans increased greatly and almost unceasingly from 1900 to around 1980. The enormous increase in educational attainment in the early part of the 20th Century came primarily from grass-roots movements to build and staff public schools; it was not due to a top-down government mandate. However, after around 1980, the supply of educated American slowed considerably. The sluggish growth in the educated workforce in the last quarter century has been due to a slowing down in the educational attainment of those schooled in the United States, rather than to an increase in the foreign-born component of the workforce. This is due to the widening of economic inequality since 1970, and the slowdown in the growth of educational attainment has been most extreme for those at the bottom of the income distribution, particularly for ethnic and racial minorities.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s sprouted across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. During this early part of the 20th century, American youth entered high schools at a rapid rate, mainly due to the building of new schools, and acquired skills "for life" rather than "for college." In 1910 less than 20% of 15 – 18 years olds were enrolled in a high school; less than 10% of all American 18 year-olds graduated. By 1940, 73% of American youths were enrolled in high school and the median American youth had a high school diploma. The movement began in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
but quickly spread to the western states. According to Claudia Goldin, the states that led in the U.S. high school movement (e.g. Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
and Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
) had a cohesive, homogeneous population and were more affluent, with a broad middle-class group.
The United States exceeded Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in mass secondary education. The American system of education was characterized as open to all, forgiving, lacking universal standards, and academic. On the other hand, the European system was closed, unforgiving, with uniform standards, and academic for some and industrial for others. Secondary schools in America were free and generally accessible, while in most of Europe they were costly and often inaccessible with difficult entrance exams. In the United States, schools were provided by small, local districts. Because decentralized decision making system rose competition among districts for residents in the United States, the U.S. moved quickly in building school initially. In contrast, schools were provided by the central government as a national decision in Europe. Further, high school was designed to be the terminal degree rather than a pre-college diploma of office or skilled blue-collar workers in the United States. By 1955 80% of United States youth had graduated from an academic high school. In this setting general skills and social mobility were emphasized, not specific training or apprenticeships. Even by the 1930s, America was virtually alone in providing universally free and accessible secondary schools. While in Europe the rate of those graduating from academic high schools was only 10%-20%. Most Europeans, 40%-50%, attended full-or part-time vocational training.
From the viewpoint of economics, this movement led to the increase of women’s labor force from 1930 to 1950 in the United States. Knowledge and skills women gained in high school helped them attain better jobs outside the home.
Both men and women shared in the increase in educational attained during the 20th century;however, during the beginning and end of the century women gained more than the men did. Women began this period with more education in large part because they attended and graduated from highschool to a greater degree than men.Even though, women had an advantage in education for most of the century, the education advantage disappeared with cohorts born in the 1910s and 1920s. This is due to the fact that many men were able to attend college on the G.I. Bill. By men having this advantage over the women, we saw the number of men in college increase and the number of women in college decrease during the middle part of the century.
The increase in educational attainment was not shared by the African-American population, whose high school enrollment rates were very low, especially in the South. This is because school integration had not been achieved and there were few African-American secondary schools until the 1930s. The few African-American secondary schools that did exist were located in the cities and not the rural areas where the majority of the African-American population lived.
Surprisingly, the South wasn't the only area that lagged in the high school movement. Within some of the larger American cities, especially in the industrial North, high school enrollment rates were initially lower than the rest of the country. These large cities had a large inflow of European immigrants, who were not as inclined to enroll, and also there were many job opportunities for the youth, which kept them from enrolling as well.
The supply of educated Americans increased greatly and almost unceasingly from 1900 to around 1980. The enormous increase in educational attainment in the early part of the 20th Century came primarily from grass-roots movements to build and staff public schools; it was not due to a top-down government mandate. However, after around 1980, the supply of educated American slowed considerably. The sluggish growth in the educated workforce in the last quarter century has been due to a slowing down in the educational attainment of those schooled in the United States, rather than to an increase in the foreign-born component of the workforce. This is due to the widening of economic inequality since 1970, and the slowdown in the growth of educational attainment has been most extreme for those at the bottom of the income distribution, particularly for ethnic and racial minorities.