Abstract

Public education has changed so much over the last twenty years in many different ways prior to the ways of earlier technology. This has affected elementary education levels, parental involvement, and standardized testing in so many ways. Over time these three studies of education have adapted and evolved into what they are today. The use of technology has changed from Wikipedia searches to Google searches and classrooms for remote learning mostly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The learning environment has changed through the use of technology by incorporating interactive videos and games during instruction. Interviews with elementary educators who were just beginning their teaching career and those who have been teaching for twenty years or more were conducted to gather information for this paper to observe how teaching has changed over the past twenty years. Parental involvement has declined due to parents working full-time jobs to provide for their families and not being as involved in their children’s education. Student discipline is also discussed in this paper as to how it impacts student behavior at school and at home. Education for students with disabilities has changed over the last twenty years through instruction, testing, parental involvement, and the use of technology. Standardized testing has changed entirely due to testing on computers today in comparison to using written tests or scan cards in past years. Over the last decade the ways of teaching and learning styles have adjusted and remained the same to better help students to be prepared for the standardized testing. The “No Child Left Behind Act” has affected standardized testing and classroom instruction. Writing and reading instruction has changed and has continued to stay the same during the last twenty years through these three main key components of education. After reading this paper, you will understand what education was like twenty years ago and how the use of technology, parental involvement, and standardized testing have changed over the last twenty years.

Keywords: education, technology, COVID-19 pandemic, parental involvement, and standardized testing

Year Manuscript Completed

Fall 2023

Senior Project Advisor

PhD George Barton

Degree Awarded

Bachelor of Integrated Studies Degree

Field of Study

Educational Studies

Document Type

Thesis

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