The accomplishments of education research are many, and they are leaving an indelible imprint on the shape and character of American education. The role of the federal government in education is one of leadership and financial and technical assistance to the states or to individual school districts or higher education institutions. The birth of federal support to education research occured in 1862 when Congress passed the Morrill Act. Another jump in education research took place in 1917 with the passage of the Smith-Hughes Act for vocational education. In 1954 the Comparative Research Act was a major turning point for educational research and development. It was followed by the National Defense Education Act in 1958. A number of other acts passed by Congress have also led to noticeable improvements in American education including the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Many recently developed forms of educational technology are now being widely employed in instructional programs because of federal education policy. Education research is in its infancy in the United States and operates in a complex social arena. Its accomplishments are difficult to measure and evaluate because it is a social science. (RC)