Education policy of the United States
The government also implements other policies or requires states to do so as a condition of federal funding, including child care programs, safety regulations, and standardized tests.
The federal government's role in higher education is limited, though it does provide financial support for qualifying students and institutions.
The stated mission of the department is to "promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access".
The first Morrill Land-Grant Act was enacted in 1862, granting federal land to each state, the profits from which were to be used to construct agricultural and mechanical schools.
The second Morrill Land-Grant Act was enacted in 1890, expanding on this program with additional funding and by requiring admission of African Americans.
However, the federal government's role in education expanded with the New Deal programs enacted in response to the Great Depression.
In the mid-20th century, the Supreme Court's stance began to change and it delivered a series of rulings that limited the constitutionality of segregation.
This decision faced strong backlash in southern states, and President Eisenhower established a military presence in Little Rock, Arkansas to enforce desegregation of public schools.
The bill implemented a student loan program, provided funding for science, math, and foreign language instruction, and expanded college services such as libraries.
[15] The Johnson administration sought to improve quality of life in the United States through the Great Society program and the war on poverty.
[17] The Higher Education Act of 1965 was passed to increase funding for universities and help disadvantaged students afford tuition.
It prohibited racial discrimination in any program receiving federal funding and provided enforcement for the desegregation of public schools.
[19] Federal funding in southern states was made contingent on desegregation, and the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare set quotas for integration rates in the late 1960s.
The act was amended in 1967 to include additional provisions, such as dropout prevention, funding for disabled children, and new school libraries.
[20] The Head Start program was created in 1965 to supplement school aid and provide daycare for children of low income families.
The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare developed a detailed list of regulations that school systems were required to follow in order to comply with Title IX.
It required states to develop improvement plans that outlined standards, testing, educator training, and mechanisms for accountability.
[27] President George W. Bush oversaw significant education reform in 2002 with the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act.
[29] The Race to the Top grant was established as part of the 2009 stimulus package to incentivize state and local governments to implement standards and teacher evaluation reforms.
[31] Under this law, the requirements implemented by the No Child Left Behind Act were loosened and the responsibility of setting standards and assessments were returned to the states.
The largest component of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is Title I, which provides federal funding for schools in low income areas.
[32] Under the Obama administration, schools were incentivized to adopt the Common Core standards through No Child Left Behind waivers and Race to the Top grants.
[40] Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers provide after-school programs in low income areas.
[41] Previously, child care had been provided by the Emergency Nursery Schools program as part of the Works Progress Administration of the New Deal, implemented in 1933.
[44] The Supreme Court ruled that the right to choose private education is protected by the Fourteenth Amendment in the 1925 case Pierce v. Society of Sisters.
The Supreme Court affirmed that this right exists so long as it does not cause a "substantial disruption" in the 1969 case Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District.
The federal government does not prohibit school corporal punishment, and the Supreme Court ruled that states may permit it in the 1977 case Ingraham v.
[61] The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in schools.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act also entitles students a fair evaluation process to determine proper placement.
[72] Under the Higher Education Act, the federal government provides financial support for qualifying institutions and students.
