American Education?

WRITTEN BY Andrew Benson Brown

True/False

1. For early colonists, learning about literature at school was less important than learning religious, moral, and communal values through church and family.

2. At Boston Latin School, America’s oldest public educational institution, learning Latin has become an optional part of the curriculum.

3. George Washington was among the most highly educated of the Founding Fathers.

4. Public schooling did not become established in many of the Southern states until after the Civil War.

Fill-in-the-Blank

5. As the decline in literacy and writing skills has accelerated over the past generation, ________ majors are in greater demand by employers than ever before.

6. The two books most often found in Western frontier homes during the 19th century were the Bible and the works of playwright ________

7. The following widely circulated quote has been attributed to Thomas Jefferson: “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our _________ as a free people.”

Multiple Choice

8. What percentage of high school graduates today earn more money than half of those who hold bachelor’s degrees?

A) 8%

B) 16%

C) 24%

D) 32%

9. Which of the following educational institutions was NOT established by Benjamin Franklin?

A) The University of Pennsylvania

B) The American Philosophical Society

C) The Franklin Institute

D) Franklin and Marshall College

10. A female teacher who taught in rural, one-room schoolhouses before the rise of American public education was known as a:

A) Governess

B) Headmistress

C) School dame

D) School ma’am