Final answer:
During the Progressive Era, reform efforts centered on making education universal through mandatory school attendance and combating child labor, thus significantly increasing literacy and public school attendance.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Progressive Era, progressives sought to reform education by emphasizing the need for universal public education. One significant focus was on requiring children to attend school, which aimed at reducing illiteracy rates and equipping the youth with civic knowledge and moral values. Influential figures like Horace Mann spearheaded movements to mandate schooling, stressing the importance of schooling for children to fulfill their civic duties as adults. Additionally, child labor laws were enacted to encourage school attendance and prevent young children from forgoing education for work. Progressive reforms also encouraged vocational skills and training for the new industrial economy. As a consequence of these educational reforms and the efforts to make schools more accessible, there was a drastic increase in school attendance and a surge in the number of public high schools nationally.