When did the federal government first become involved in education, and when did it expand its involvement? Provide examples. Why did the government expand its involvement in education?
Answer:
An ideal response will:
1. Discuss how the federal government has been involved in education at least since the Northwest Ordinance of 1785, which set aside land for public schools; after the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act, which provided grants of land for universities, was established in 1862, the Office of Education was created in 1867 to oversee education programs.
2. Describe how education came to be seen as a national security issue during the Cold War; when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, Congress passed the National Defense Education Act to upgrade science and math education in the United States.
3. Identify the 1960s as another period of expansion, with recognition of the wide variation in quality of neighborhood schools and the creation of programs like Head Start to help low-income students.
4. Note that the 1990s brought further federal involvement in education in an attempt to apply more stringent standards and monitor school performance, first with the government setting national goals for student achievement, and then with the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002.
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