As numerous studies from 1906 on have confirmed, children lose ground in learning if they lack opportunities for building skills over the summer. Nonetheless, summer learning loss comes up but rarely in the national discussion of education reform. By the end of summer, students perform on average one month behind where they left off in the spring.…

Emphasizing the intersection of policy and politics, this paper uses Theda Skocpol's polity-centered approach (1992) to analyze two key moments in the history of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program: (1) 1998, when the program's budget grew from $40 million to $200 million; and (2) 2003, when President Bush attempted to cut…

From the 1980s to the present, educational accountability in the United States has grown dramatically. Such accountability in U.S. school districts, although driven primarily by external demands, has internal manifestations as well. The chapter traces the historical development of internal evaluation in American school districts, then highlights…

Discusses the proliferation of federal education programs and the many problems inherent in federal education policy. Suggestions are given to reform the federal role in education through changes in the reauthorization of the Elementary Secondary Education Act. (SLD)

Discusses seven stereotypical views concerning the history of federal involvement in elementary and secondary education. Examines federal intervention after World War II; origination of federal programs; the National Defense Education Act; basic skills education; federal aid to precollegiate education; federal pressure for desegregation; and…