This study was written by Charles Quattlebaum of the Legislative Reference Service, the predecessor to the Congressional Research Service, and it was published by Congress in February 1955. It reviews the history of federal funding for school buildings, but spends the bulk of its pages on legislative proposals of the day and their justifications (e.g., states lack of funds, population growth, etc.)
Category: Studies
Andrew Rotherham, Toward Performance-Based Federal Education Funding (1999)
This April 1999 study was written by Andrew Rotherham for the Progressive Policy Institute. Rotherham served as Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy during the Clinton administration. He went on to found Education Sector, a thinktank, and Bellwether Education Partners.
This study is significant because it was made by a Democrat who argued in favor of restructuring the Title I program of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. (republicans long had criticized Title I as wasteful and ineffective.)
In short, Rotherham argued for reducing federal red tape and mandates (which states favored) in exchange for states testing their students. The logic was potent and became dominant in federal education policy—if states received education funding, they ought to show how effectively they are utilizing it. This thinking is part and parcel of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
Report of the Long Range Planning Phase of the School Facilities Survey (1955)
This is a study by Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Study of school buildings. It was published in 1955.
Education Legislation In the 83rd Congress, 1953-1955
This is a monograph largely written by the Legislative Reference Service and published by Congress. It describes the education bills introduced between 1953 and 1955.
A Nation At Risk
This report of April 26, 1983 was produced by the National Commission on Excellence in Education, a body appointed by the Secretary of Education Terrel H. Bell of the first Reagan Administration.
It greatly affected the federal politics of education, as discussed in the booklet Ronald Reagan and Education Policy.
Federal Education Policy History 