The U.S. Education System

Overview

• U.S. Department of Education
  A description of the structure and function of the U.S. Department of Education from the U.S. Government Manual.
  
  
• Condition of Education 2006 in Brief
  This abbreviated report from the National Center for Education Statistics contains a summary of 19 of the 50 indicators used in the complete annual report.
  
  
• U.S. Department of Education Budget Summary and Background Information
  Summary of the U.S. Department of Education budget.
  

Structure of the U.S. Education System

Overviews

• Organization of the U.S. Education System
  Information on how education in the United States is governed, including the roles of the different levels of authority in our federal system, the role of national associations, and the ways by which standards and quality are monitored. Provided by the U.S. Network for Education Information.
  
  
• Structure of U.S. Education        
  Information on the types and levels of education offered, how people progress through the system, and the characteristics of recognized degree programs and other programs of study. Provided by the U.S. Network for Education Information.
  
  
• Institutional Organization
  Resources on public and private institutions, primary and secondary administration, and postsecondary administration, provided by the U.S. Network for Education Information.
  

K - 12

• Education in the United States: The Pre-University Years
  This journal presents a portrait of the U.S. primary and secondary education landscape, offering resources for further exploration of the subject.
  
  
• Shared Love of Reading Pairs Legislators and Students
  United States senators and their aides are adding a new dimension to their workaday lives by participating in a reading program in the primary schools of the District of Columbia, in the shadow of Capitol Hill. The author discusses the benefits both sides derive from this activity.
  
  
• Arts in Education: Testimony of Benjamin O. Canada       
  Text of verbal testimony to U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education and Pensions by the Superintendent of Portland Public Schools.
  
  
• Reading Achievement
  Chart and explanation of reading achievement in the U.S.
  
  
• Mathematics Achievement 
  Chart and explanation of mathematics achievement in the U.S.
  
  
• Trends in Academic Progress
  Chart and explanation of national trends in reading, mathematics, and science.
  
  
• Dropout rates
  Chart and explanation of status dropout rates.
  

Undergraduate

• Community Colleges in the United States
  An anthology of articles on community colleges in America.
  
  
• Postsecondary Attainment                 
  Graph and explanation of postsecondary attainment in the U.S.
  

Graduate School

• Chart: Doctoral Degrees Awarded in Science &  Engineering  and non-Science & Engineering Fields
  Graph of science and engineering doctorates awarded by field of study.

• Chart: Science and Engineering Doctorates Awarded to Women: Engineering Doctorate Awards
  Graph of science and engineering doctorates awarded to women by field of study.
  
  
• Chart: Graduate Enrollment by Area of Study 
  Graph of graduate enrollment by field of study.
  
  
• Chart: Full-time Graduate Students in Science and Engineering
  Graph showing sources of support for full-time graduate students in science and engineering fields.   
  

Accreditation in the U.S. System

• Accreditation in the United States
  An overview and description of accreditation of institutions of higher education, listings of accrediting agencies and the regulations governing the role of the U.S. Department of Education.

Education Statistics

• Education Statistics Briefing Room
  Link to charts on educational statistics provided by the White House Statistics Briefing Room.
  
  
• U.S. Student and Adult Performance on International Assessments of Educational Achievement
  A report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) on the state of education in the United States and other countries.       
  
  

Special Needs and Charter Schools

• Head Start: Background and Issues
  A report on background and funding for Head Start, the federal program that provides comprehensive early childhood development services to low-income children.
  
  
• Education of Children with Disabilities: An Evolving 'Idea'
  The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law enacted in 1990 and reauthorized in 1997. It is designed to protect the rights of students with disabilities by ensuring that everyone receives a free appropriate public education, regardless of ability.
  
  
• Charter Schools
  Charter schools are publicly funded elementary or secondary schools that have been freed from some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools, in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter. From the National Education Association.
  
  
• U.S. Charter Schools: An Overview and History of Charter Schools
  An overview and history of charter schools from a consortium of education organizations interested in providing accurate information and promising practices about and for charter schools.
  
  
• Apples to Apples: An Evaluation of Charter Schools Serving General Student Populations
  An evaluation of the academic performance of charter schools based on a comparison of test scores at charter schools with those at regular public schools, from the Manhattan Institute, a non-profit education and research think tank.
  
  
• Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
  Information about programs and policies related to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
  
  
• The Public Charter Schools Program
  The Public Charter Schools Program supports the planning, development, and initial implementation of charter schools. U.S. Department of Education.
  
  
• Successful Charter Schools
  2004 report from the U.S. Department of Education on charter schools in the U.S.
  

Diversity in Education

• A Diverse Educational System
  From Portrait of the USA, this chapter describes the broad contours of U.S. education, including its structure, standards and challenges.
  
  
• 50 Years After Brown: Why Historically Black Colleges and Universities Remain Relevant
  Beverly Daniel Tatum, President of Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, writes about the role of historically Black colleges in affirming the identity of African-American students, while at the same time giving them the opportunity to meet students with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
  
  
• Horizons of Opportunities: Celebrating 50 Years of Brown v. Board of Education
  Background information on the historic decision and a discussion of the status of segregation in American schools, from the National Education Association.
  
  
• Teaching Asian American Literature
  An article on the complexities of teaching Asian American literature, from "Essays on Teaching the American Literatures," Heath Anthology Newsletter.
  
  
• Minority Serving Institutions
  This article provides information about colleges that serve students from three minority populations: African Americans, Hispanics, and American Indians. From "College and University Education in the U.S.," a 2005 eJournal from the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State.
  

Religion and Education

• Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools
  A clarification of the extent to which prayer in public schools is legally protected by the U.S. Department of Education.
  
  
• Muslim Students in California
  Mary Rourke, a staff writer with the Los Angeles Times newspaper, specializes in reporting on religion.
  
  
• Portrait of a Teacher
  An engaging short article about a Muslim woman in Ohio who teaches in U.S. public schools as well as an Islamic school. From the publication, "Muslim Life in America."
  
  
• Religiously Affiliated Colleges
  Religiously affiliated colleges and universities in the United States all have their own manner of combining the religious and the academic. In this essay, views of the "value added" to higher education by religious colleges are discussed.

Education and the Internet

• Internet Access in U.S. Schools and Classrooms: 1994-2003
  An analysis of the progress of public schools in providing Internet access based on surveys conducted by NCES.
  
  
• Visions 2020: Transforming Education and Training Through Advanced Technologies
  A visioning exercise from noted experts in the field from Microsoft to the George Lucas Educational Foundation, commissioned by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
  
  
• Education for the 21st Century: Using Technology to Enhance Teaching and Learning
  Links to article about The U.S. Department of Education's investment of $4,000 million improve access to information technologies for schools and libraries across the country.
  
  
• The Horizon Report, 2007 edition
  The report focuses on the applications of emerging technologies to teaching, learning and creative expression. New Media Consortium and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative.
  
  
• Public Libraries in the Internet Age
  Public libraries and the professionals who staff them still play key roles in assisting the public in navigating the oceans of information now available to them through the Internet. From "Media Emerging," a 2006 eJournal from the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State.
  
  
• Internet2: Creating Tomorrow's Internet
  A broad consortium of organizations works internationally to develop the Internet of tomorrow, allowing academic and scientific research through collaborative relationships that foster greater innovation and better education. From "Media Emerging," a 2006 eJournal from the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State.
  
  

The History of Education in the U.S.

• The Federal Role in Education
  A history and explanation of the federal contribution to national education.
  
  
• Schools, Universities and Volunteering
  An analysis of what volunteering means on various educational levels, from primary schools through the university sector.
  
  
• No Child Left Behind: Overview of President Bush's Education Reform Plan
  Overview of President Bush's Education Reform Plan.
  
  
• Brown v. Board of Education: The Supreme Court Decision that Changed a Nation
  In a 1954 landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.
  

Education Legislation

• Introduction to the No Child Left Behind Act
  Introduction to the No Child Left Behind Act, with general information regarding what is expected to be accomplished through it.
  
  
• No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
  Full text of the public law, PL 107-110, that reauthorizes and amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the principal law affecting education from kindergarten through high school.
  
  
• Fact Sheet on the Major Provisions of the Conference Report to H.R.1, the No Child Left Behind Act
  Fact Sheet on the Major Provisions of the Conference Report regarding the No Child Left Behind Act.
  
  
• Outline of Programs and Selected Changes in the No Child Left Behind Act
  A 2002 overview of the programs and changes of the No Child Left Behind Act, from the U.S. Department of Education.
  
  
• The No Child Left Behind Act: An Overview of Reauthorization Issues for the 110th Congress
  A December 2006 report from the Congressional Research Service examines reauthorization issues for the No Child Left Behind Act.
  
  
• School Choice: Current Legislation
  Legislative proposals to provide parents with enhanced opportunities to select their children's schools are varied and widely debated. This 2006 Issue Brief from the Congressional Research Service reports on the current legislation.
  
  
• The Higher Education Act Reauthorization: A Comparison of Current Law and Major Proposals
  The Higher Education Act of 1965 includes the federal government's major student aid programs. The HEA student aid programs supported 63% of all federal, state and institutional aid awarded to postsecondary students in 2003-2004. An HEA reauthorization bill was passed in the House in March 2006. This Congressional Research Service report compares current law with HEA reauthorization proposals.
  
  
• The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): Overview of Major Provisions
  A report that provides a brief overview of the Act, with particular attention paid to issues of recent congressional concern.
  
  
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: Statutory Provisions and Selected Issues
  A Congressional Research Service report that summarizes the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and discusses selected issues.
  
  
• Education for the Disadvantaged: ESEA Title I Reauthorization Issues Report
  A report on the issues surrounding the reauthorization of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which authorizes aid for the education of disadvantaged children.
  
  
• K-12 Teacher Quality: Issues and Legislative Action
  The quality of elementary and secondary school teachers is increasingly recognized as a critical element in improving education. This Congressional Research Service report tracks major legislative action regarding the No Child Left Behind Act as it pertains to K-12 teachers.
  
  
• Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954) (USSC+)
  Supreme Court case outlining the necessity of equal access to education.
  
  
• Brown v. Board of Education, 349 U.S. 294 (1955) (USSC+)
  Brown v. Board of Education court case upheld for all states.
  
  
• Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)
  In this 1978 Supreme Court case, the Court held in a closely divided decision that race could be one of the factors considered in choosing a diverse student body in university admissions decisions.
  
  
• Bob Jones University v. United States, 461 U.S. 574 (1983) (USSC+)
  Supreme Court Case outlining how U.S. Government support is prohibited from universities that discriminate.