The School in the United States: A Documentary History

In this second edition of The School in the United States: A Documentary History, James W. Fraser once again provides the essential primary documents for a study of the history of education in the United States. Consisting of expertly-chosen excerpts from important educational documents from the colonial era to the present, this updated edition features:

• Additional material on Noah Webster’s Speller, McGuffey’s Reader, debates over black education during Reconstruction
• A new chapter on the emergence of high school and the role of vocational education
• A new chapter on Education in the Era of No Child Left Behind
• Over a dozen black and white photos to further enhance students’ experience with the texts

Each chapter begins with an introduction that places the selections into context and provides the necessary background to the issues being discussed. Comprehensive enough to be used as a main text, but brief enough to be used alongside another, The School in the United States remains an ideal resource and textbook for any student and teacher of the history of education in the United States.

James W. Fraser is Professor of History and Education at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University and Senior Vice President for Programs at the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. He is the author of numerous books and articles on the history of education and teacher education.  His most recent book is Preparing America’s Teachers: A History.