In 2016, the federal government proposed and adopted the Every Student Succeeds Act, which retracted the federal government's prior control over states' teacher evaluation systems, permitting more local control. Kevin Close, Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, and Clarin Collins collected information from states to determine the degree to which states were…

Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), federal education mandates will be decreasing, which means states will have more flexibility and authority than they've had in decades. State education agency (SEA) leaders are confronting great change and great opportunity as many agencies move away from a focus on compliance with federal regulations,…

National-level educational policy is being rapidly decentralized, according to this article, which offers a historical framework for understanding the new era in national education politics. The author analyzes implications of the changes taking place and discusses options open to proponents of a vigorous federal role in education. (Author/WD)

In April 1988, Congress passed, and President Reagan signed, the Hawkins Stafford School Improvement Amendments, restoring the federal government's position as a true helper in educational reform. Besides raising spending ceilings for various educational programs and authorizing numerous initiatives, the law substantially enlarges Chapter 1…

Traces the history of federal goals and policies in education from the expansion of federal aid under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to the reduction of federal support and regulation currently envisaged in the Education Improvement and Consolidation Act of 1981. (RW)

Argues that the primary difference between the federal role in education of the Reagan administration and that of its predecessors is one of form and of funding. Suggests that the federal presence in education will continue and that educators, as advocates, can influence the future. (Author/WD)

President Reagan's plan to reduce federal government and increase states' responsibility for public services was designed to encourage competition and efficiency through a "New Federalism." Since 1981, Reagan has reduced federal aid to education by $15 billion, causing problems for individual states, special needs groups, and educational…

Argues that the Reagan administration is dismantling the educational efforts of the past 50 years, which could result in chaos. Suggests that state departments are incapable of exercising leadership in the absence of a federal role. Predicts the abandonment of educational research and special concerns and the demise of equality. (Author/WD)

Examines the effect of the increase in the power and influence of the state and federal governments on teacher education. Argues that more governmental influence is not a promising approach to the solution of the problems facing education. (IRT)

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, the 2001 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, has become a symbol of all things good and bad in education. While the basic concepts of the legislation--accountability for results, research-based education programs, increased parental options, and expanded local control and…

Discusses the political battles over federal support of education in the Congress since Reagan's election to the Presidency, including the reaction to the impact of the report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education. Contrasts the activities and attitudes of Reagan and Kentucky's late Democratic Congressman Carl Perkins. (PGD)

America 2000 is the first serious policy initiative in U.S. history to consider enlargement of the federal education role. The program is vigorous, upbeat, and demands hard work, private initiative, self-reliance, and freedom from bureaucratic intrusion. The U.S. public supports underlying concepts: choice, higher standards, radical reform, and…

Reflects on the rationale for federal involvement in education (particularly on behalf of the disadvantaged), considers the Reagan Administration's efforts to diminish the federal role, discusses research on the effectiveness of federal initiatives, proposes an appropriate federal role, and examines the impact of existing legislation. (Author/PGD)

Assesses the current demand for and range of vocational education programs in the United States, describing participation, program availability, teaching methods, effectiveness, student and employer attitudes toward vocational education, the importance of federal funding, and needs for improvement and changes in program content and support. (PGD)