Goals 2000: Educate America Act

On By Kevin R. KosarIn Laws3 Comments

President William J Clinton signed the Goals 2000 Educate America Act (P.L. 103-227; 108 Stat. 125) on March 31, 1994.

The law had many aspects, not least was its aim to “provide a framework for meeting the National Education Goals,” which included ensuring “all children will start school ready to learn,” a high school graduation rate of “at least” 90%, and more.  All of these goals were to be achieved by the year 2000.

The full text of the Goals 2000 Educate America Act is accessible in the window below.

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Department of Education Spending, 1980 to 2010

On By Kevin R. KosarIn Other ItemsLeave a comment

Figure 1 depicts the billions of dollars in outlays (money spent) by the Department of Education from 1980 to 2010.(1) These expenditures are not adjusted for inflation.(2)

Figure 1. Department of Education Spending 1980-2010 (billions of dollars)

Source: Ronald Reagan and Education Policy.

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National Defense Education Act of 1958

On By Kevin R. KosarIn Laws1 Comment
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The National Defense Education Act of 1958  (P.L. 85-864; 72 Stat. 1580) became law on September 2, 1958.  This federal policy largely targeted collegiate education, authorizing both National Defence Fellowships and loans for students.

The National Defense Education Act (NDEA) also provided funds to state educational agencies for the purposes of improving the teaching of science, mathematics, and “modern foreign languages” (e.g., Russian, not Latin).  Thus, the NDEA was the first major federal foray into K-12 curricula since the Smith-Hughes Vocational Education Act of 1917.

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Federal Curricula: James Madison High School

On By Kevin R. KosarIn Curricula
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In December 1987, Secretary of Education William J. Bennett released a high school curriculum.  It was not federally mandated, rather, it was a model for schools to consider adopting in whole or in part. “James Madison High School” also included profiles of seven high schools whose curricula Bennett found admirable for their depth and rigor.

Hat tip to Chester E. Finn, Jr., Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, who reminded me of this.

Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum

On By Kevin R. KosarIn Research Libraries and Repositories

LBJ Signing the ESEA, 1965

President Lyndon Baines Johnson’s presidential library has holdings relevant to the study of federal education policy history, such as these Douglass Cater oral histories.  Cater served as special assistant to the President from 1964 to 1968, and offered comments on the politics of education at the time of enactment of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

Other oral histories may be found here, and finding aides for Lyndon Johnson’s papers are located here.  The photograph above came from the library’s photo archive.