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Centennial Moments

1959

Sputnik Compels Critique of U.S. High Schools

Two years after Sputnik raised fears about the quality of U.S. education, American High School Today: A First Report to Interested Citizens was published to garner support for public schools. Author James B. Conant, former president of Harvard, claimed the comprehensive high school, offering a greater variety of courses including languages and vocational training, would best prepare a diverse student body for the future.

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1958: The Greenbrier Conference
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1959: The Conant Study