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.)
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.
Research Libraries and Repositories
The U.S. Department of Education’s National Education Library in Washington, DC has a wealth of resources on federal education policy history:
So too does the Library of Congress (also in Washington, DC). It is a particularly good place to go for copies of congressional hearings, prints, and other legislative documents.
Google Books also is a place where one can find old studies of the federal role in education.
University Microfilms International has copies of dissertations completed at U.S. colleges and universities since 1860. Many, many dissertations have focused on federal education policy and politics. You can search them online through Proquest, provided you have a subscription or are at a research library.
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.
Federal Education Policy History 