Progressive Education Association facts for kids

The Progressive Education Association was a special group in America that worked to spread a new way of teaching called progressive education. This group was active from 1919 to 1955. They wanted to make schools better for students.

At first, the group focused on how kids learned in elementary schools. But in the 1930s, they started looking at public schools and bigger social issues. They launched three important studies about progressive schools. One study, called the Eight-Year Study, checked if students from progressive high schools were ready for college, even if their schools had different rules than traditional ones. The other studies looked at how school lessons could help students become good citizens and how teaching materials could meet kids' emotional needs.

The group was most active in the late 1930s. But after that, they found it hard to stay a leading voice in education. They also had trouble getting different members to agree. The group finally ended in the mid-1950s. This happened because many people started to dislike progressive education. There was a rise in conservatism (wanting to keep things traditional) and anti-intellectualism (not valuing smart ideas) in society. Also, schools started focusing more on standard tests and job training (vocational education).

How the Progressive Education Association Started

The Association for the Advancement of Progressive Education began in early 1919. It was started by wealthy women in Washington and people who worked in both private and public schools. Their goal was to bring progressive education to public schools all over the United States.

Stanwood Cobb led the first meeting. Other important people there included Marietta Johnson from the Fairhope School, and staff from the Lincoln School of Teachers College, the Park School of Baltimore, and the Washington Montessori School.

The next year, the group decided on seven main ideas to guide their work. These were called the Seven Principles of Progressive Education:

• Kids should be free to grow and learn naturally.
• What kids are interested in should be the reason for their schoolwork.
• Teachers should guide students, not just tell them what to do.
• School records should help teachers understand how students are developing.
• More attention should be given to everything that helps a student's physical health.
• Schools and homes should work together to help kids with their natural interests.
• Progressive schools should lead the way in new education ideas.

At first, the group focused on elementary schools. They were interested in teaching methods like the project method and child-centered education, where learning is based on the child's needs and interests. Their meetings were about giving kids freedom and chances to be creative.

Leaders of small, private schools guided the group through the 1920s. Charles W. Eliot, a former president of Harvard University, was their first honorary president. Later, the famous philosopher John Dewey held this title.

Towards the end of the 1920s, public school leaders and university professors from Teachers College started to take over from the private school headmasters. This was because the group began to focus more on public schools. They also shifted their attention from just teaching methods to bigger social and political issues. This change was highlighted by George Counts's 1932 speech, "Dare Progressive Education Be Progressive?" Because of these changes, the group grew a lot. Its membership quadrupled (became four times bigger) between 1924 and 1930, reaching 7,600 members. The group was most active in the late 1930s, with 10,000 members. In 1931, the group changed its name to the Progressive Education Association.

What Did the Association Do?

The Progressive Education Association started three important projects that had a lasting effect on American education.

One project was the Commission on the Relation of School and College (1930–1942). This group studied how well students from progressive high schools did in college. They found that students from 30 progressive high schools, which used new and different ways of teaching, did just as well in college as students from traditional high schools. This was a big deal because it showed that progressive education could prepare students for higher learning.

Another project was the Commission on the Secondary School Curriculum (1933–1940). This group looked at how school lessons could help students become good citizens and meet their personal needs.

The third project was the Commission on Human Relations (1935–1942). This group studied teaching materials that could help kids with their emotional and psychological needs.

The Progressive Education Association also supported two publications: a quarterly magazine called Progressive Education (published from 1924 to 1957) and The Social Frontier (published from 1934 to 1943, later renamed Frontiers of Democracy).

The End of the Association

After World War II, many of the original leaders of the progressive education movement were less involved with the Association. In 1947, the group changed its name again to the American Education Fellowship. They hoped this new name would show their wider goals and international reach. However, they couldn't get their members to agree. Some members wanted big social changes, while others just wanted practical school reforms.

Six years later, in 1953, they went back to the name Progressive Education Association for their last two years. The John Dewey Society supported the Association during this time.

The exact reason why the Association declined is still debated. In 1955, the organization closed down. This happened during a time when many people were criticizing progressive education. Society was becoming more conservative and less interested in new ideas (anti-intellectualism). Schools also started focusing more on standard tests and job training (vocational education). As a result, the Progressive Education Association's membership dropped to less than 1,000 people. The Association no longer has any official records or archives.