National Level Policy and the Role of the Federal Government  

Today, educational policy in the United States is the reflection of a complex democratic process involving all levels of government, the private sector, and citizens' groups. Within this context, the federal government plays a significant leadership and supporting role.

The U.S. Department of Education is the agency responsible for federal education policy, although numerous federal agencies contribute resources to education-related programs and activities. The Department alone contributes about 7% of total education spending (while the federal government, including all agencies, contributes about 10%).

The Department originated in 1867 (as the Office of Education) to provide information to states to help them establish efficient school systems. The Department became a cabinet-level agency in 1980. Its official mission is to ensure equal access to education and promote educational excellence throughout the nation. Today, the Department is responsible for the following:

• Collecting and disseminating information, such as educational statistics, research data, and best practices;
• Playing a leadership role by influencing public opinion and building partnerships with states, communities, educators, parents, and the private sector to improve education;
• Ensuring equal educational opportunity by enforcing civil rights laws. The Department can withhold federal funding from any organization that is found in violation of civil rights law. The 14th Amendment of the Constitution provides that states cannot take away any right granted to an individual by the Constitution. Therefore, while states have the right to provide schooling, they cannot violate citizens' rights. Once a state provides a system of education, it must provide it equally to all children;
• Supporting educational improvement and reform by providing grants to states, local governments, and individual schools (often targeted to disadvantaged groups). The Title I formula grant program constitutes the largest source of federal aid to elementary and secondary schools (93% of school districts in the United States receive Title I funds);
• Providing financial assistance to students to help pay for postsecondary education. Approximately 45 percent of the Department's budget is devoted to postsecondary education, most of which is used for student financial aid. About 75 percent of all student financial aid in the nation is funded by the federal government.

The federal government is not the only entity that influences education policy at the national level. National associations also play a significant role in formulating policy and supporting education. National associations are generally formed by groups of professionals holding similar positions and interests (e.g. teachers, administrators, professors) to further common goals. The associations - which are non-governmental and usually non-profit - fulfill roles that include fostering communication and collaboration across jurisdictional boundaries and among localities and individuals; representing members' interests in local, state, and national political processes; and regulating the ways in which their members operate and the standards of conduct that they follow.

National associations often exercise considerable influence in national policymaking, are regularly consulted by government at all levels, and in some cases exercise specific powers delegated to them by government. For example, certain higher education accreditation associations are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as competent authorities to determine the quality of university programs.