- Image by Geff Rossi via Flickr
When we imagine high school, we may think about football players, cheerleaders, teachers, classrooms and detention. The high school that you have come to know and love has its roots deeply entrenched in America’s history. What high school once was has evolved into the modern place of learning that we are now familiar with today.
Elementary schools
Throughout the early educational history of the United States, one of the major concerns was to make sure that American citizens were capable of going to elementary schools and whether there were enough elementary schools dispersed at various locations. While this occurred, a post secondary school managed to pop up for the few students who were ambitious enough to continue on. These students desired to further their educational progress.
The first high school
In 1635, Boston Latin School became the first high school that was publicly supported by the United States. Attendance for secondary school was small, particularly because the curriculum was specialized and difficult. There were also fewer students graduating from elementary schools at that time. Since there were few graduates, this made it difficult to fill classrooms.
Benjamin Franklin’s contribution
The 18th century brought about a demand for skilled workers. This encouraged Benjamin Franklin to develop a different type of secondary school. In 1750, the American Academy was established in Philadelphia. Latin grammar schools were replaced by high schools. High schools offered a more diverse curriculum and offered the skills necessary to succeed in the American economy. People wanted an edge over competitors for jobs and high school was one way to achieve that edge.
High school graduates
There has been a substantial increase in high school graduates within the last century. The percentage of teenagers who graduated from high school rose from 6 percent in 1900 to 85 percent in 1996.
