1847: Lyman Cobb's The Evil Tendencies of Corporal Punishment as a Means of Moral Discipline in Families and Schools was published. The book argues against the practice of flogging as an educational practice. Cobb was also opposed to requiring students to do tedious reading.

1899: The publication of John Dewey's The School and Society ignited a revolution in the theory and practice of American education.

1923: The Iron Hill School, a one-room school, was constructed in rural Delaware for African-American children as part of philanthropist Pierre du Pont's "Delaware experiment." Even though the school was small, it incorporated many concepts and practices of progressive education.

1975: The U. S. Supreme Court rules that teachers are permitted to spank students if the students are made aware in advance of the behavior that warrants such an action.

1989: According to the Educational Testing Service, American students (age 13) rank last in math...