Essay Topics ? Chapter 17 & 18 Test Education Reform During Progressivism As late as 1870, Americans attended school only a few months a year for four years Families needed children to do farm-work By 1900, the urban-industrial economy and its expanding middle class advanced childhood as a special life stage Sheltered youngsters from society?s dangers Promoting their physical and emotional growth ? mad sure that they were exposed to age-appropriate educational materials Educators ? expanded schooling produced better citizens and workers In the 1870s and 1880s, state laws required children to attend school until age 14 Number of public high schools increased dramatically