公共教育的角色變化一項重要的、有可能促使人們對公共教育的角色的看法發生轉變的社會發展是本世紀五
六十年代的生育高峰對學校的影響。在20年代，尤其是在30年代後的大蕭條中，美國經歷了一次出生率的下降--1920年每千名年齡在15
歲至45歲的婦女生下大約118個存活嬰兒，
1930年89.2個，1936年75.8個，1940年80個。隨著二戰帶來的持續繁榮以及隨之而來
的經濟成長，年輕人比大蕭條中的同齡人更早地結婚成家，而且比前輩養育更大的家庭。
1946年出生率上升到102%，1950年達108%，1955年達118%。對於生育高峰，經濟有可
能是最重要的決定因素，但它並不是唯一的解釋。不斷受到重視的家庭觀念也有助於解釋出生率的上升。到40
年代中期為止，這些生育高峰出生的孩子們開始源源不斷地進入國小一年級。到了1950年，就形成了一股洪流。公共教育系統突然感到不堪重負了。
由於戰時和戰後的狀況，使得學齡兒童人數增加，這些狀況使得學校面對這股洪流更加措手不及。戰時經濟意味著在1940年到1950
年間幾乎沒有建立新學校。而且，在戰時和隨後的經濟成長時期，大量的教師離開崗位去別處從事報酬更為優厚的工作。因此，在五六十年代，
生育高峰衝擊著陳舊而不完備的學校體系。這樣一來，30年代以及40年代早期，"監護理論"就不再有意義了。也就是說，通過使16
歲以上的年輕人留在學校不進入勞動力市場的做法再也不是教育機構的優先考慮了。因為教育機構不再能找到場地和教師來教育那些更小的5-16
歲的孩子。隨著生育高峰，教育者和圈外人士對教育的興趣和焦點，不可避免地轉向了更低的年級和基礎的學術技能和學科上。
這個系統不再有濃厚的興趣給較年長的年輕人提供非傳統的新式的和額外的服務。
one of the most important social developments that helped to make possible a shift in thinking about the role of public education was the effect of the baby boom of the 1950's and 1960's on the schools. in the 1920's, but especially in the depression conditions of the 1930's, the united states experienced a declining birth rate --- every thousand women aged fifteen to forty-four gave birth to about 118 live children in 1920, 89.2 in 1930, 75.8 in 1936, and 80 in 1940. with the growing prosperity brought on by the second world war and the economic boom that followed it young people married and established households earlier and began to raise larger families than had their predecessors during the depression. birth rates rose to 102 per thousand in 1946,108.2 in 1950, and 118 in 1955.
although economics was probably the most important determinant, it is not the only explanation for the baby boom. the increased value placed on the idea of the family also helps to explain this rise in birth rates. the baby boomers began streaming into the first grade by the mid 1940's and became a flood by 1950. the public school system suddenly found itself overtaxed. while the number of schoolchildren rose because of wartime and postwar conditions, these same conditions made the schools even less prepared to cope with the food. the wartime economy meant that few new schools were built between 1940 and 1945. moreover, during the war and in the boom times that followed, large numbers of teachers left their profession for better-paying jobs elsewhere in the economy.therefore in the 1950’s and 1960’s, the baby boom hit an antiquated and inadequate school system. consequently, the “ custodial rhetoric” of the 1930’s and early 1940’s no longer made sense that is, keeping youths aged sixteen and older out of the labor market by keeping them in school could no longer be a high priority for an institution unable to find space and staff to teach younger children aged five to sixteen.
with the baby boom, the focus of educators and of laymen interested in education inevitably turned toward the lower grades and back to basic academic skills and discipline. the system no longer had much interest in offering nontraditional, new, and extra services to older youths.