The U.S. government's expansive role in public policy is caught in a swirl of conflicting cross-currents. On the one hand, popular expectations about government's responsibility to solve problems often exceed the capacity of state and local authorities to respond effectively. On the other hand, policies developed at the national level may not sufficiently reflect the great diversity of interests across the U.S. to be effective at the local level. Moreover, the search for effective policy is further complicated by theoretical debates about the constitutional framework of federalism, e.g., what limits on national power can be derived from the Tenth Amendment? A policy area in the middle of these cross-currents is elementary and secondary education – a subject traditionally under local control, with some oversight by the states.
However, during the last four decades – especially since 2001 – the national government's role in education has grown significantly as a result of initiatives by Republican and Democratic administrations. Use the assigned resources to inform yourself about this role and the arguments of its supporters and critics. Before writing your initial post, review the assigned resources . To easily access the resources from the Ashford University Library, please see the table located in the Course Materials section. In your initial post of at least words, briefly summarize the national government's education policies.
Explain the main pros and cons in the debate about these policies. Evaluate them from two perspectives: The policies’ effectiveness in improving the quality of U.S. elementary and secondary education. (Justify your assessment by clearly explaining your definition of "effectiveness" and how it should be measured or determined.) Their consistency with the constitutional framework of federalism. (Justify your assessment by clearly explaining your interpretation of American federalism's constitutional framework and why federal education policies are or are not consistent with it.)
Paper For Above instruction
The expansion of the United States federal government’s role in elementary and secondary education over the past four decades represents a significant shift from traditional local and state control towards a more centralized policy approach. Historically, education in the U.S. has been primarily a state and local responsibility, with federal involvement by means of limited funding and regulation. However, federal policies such as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 and subsequent reauthorizations, including No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in 2001 and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, reflect an increasing federal interest in education reform aimed at improving academic
education policies, such as the Every Student Succeeds Act, are generally viewed as consistent with federalism when they leverage conditional funding and regulations to promote national educational goals without infringing on state sovereignty. However, critics argue that aggressive federal mandates may overstep constitutional limits, potentially infringing on states’ constitutional rights to control their educational systems. This ongoing debate underscores the importance of balancing federal interests with respect for state sovereignty as articulated within the U.S. constitutional framework.
References
Berliner, D.C., & Biddle, B.J. (1995). *The manufactured crisis: Myths, fraud, and the attack on America's public schools*. Basic Books.
Cohen, D. K. (2014). The “test” of accountability policies in the era of No Child Left Behind. *Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis*, 36(4), 451-467.
Friedman, M. (1955). The role of government in education. *Education and the State*, 38-50.
Haberman, M. (2012). *The myth of the great school debate*. Routledge.
Lubienski, C., & Lubienski, S. (2006). Charter, Private, Public Schools and Academic Achievement: New Evidence from NAEP Mathematics Data. *National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education.*
McGuinn, P. (2006). No Child Left Behind and the Changing Politics of Public Education. *University Press of New England*.
Ryan, J. (2013). Federalism and educational policy: The complicating role of the Tenth Amendment. *Journal of Education Policy*, 28(2), 204-222.
U.S. Department of Education. (2015). *Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)*. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education.
Trujillo, T.M. (2019). Equity and Accountability in Education: The Power of Policy. *Harvard Education Press*.
Wright, R. (2013). The politics of American education reform. *Educational Policy*, 27(4), 615-632.
