Schooling the State: ESEA and the Evolution of the U.S. Department of Education

Abstract

This article examines the evolution of the role of the “state” in American K–12 education and analyzes the history of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) through the entity responsible for its implementation, the U.S. Department of Education. More specifically, it explores how and why national administrative capacity and the design and implementation of federal policy in education in the United States underwent a dramatic shift between 1965 and 2014. It will address these questions through an analysis of the ways in which the mission and activities of the Department of Education have changed since the passage of ESEA in 1965. For the department to be effective in gaining states’ compliance with federal education policies, it needs sufficient statutory authority, administrative capacity, and political support. However, throughout most of the history of the department these resources have not been present.

Keywords

• federal education policy
• U.S. Department of Education
• Elementary and Secondary Education Act