Identify three important characteristics of American education policy and explain their implications for education policies at the state and local levels.

What will be an ideal response?

Students can identify three of the following characteristics: (1) Emphasis on education reflects Americans’ belief that education is important because it gives “chances, not checks”; (2) education is important for social integration and assimilation; (3) despite the importance of public schools, there has never been a state monopoly on education in the United States; (4) the emphasis in American education has always been on local and parental control of schools. The implications of each are as follows: Education’s giving “chances, not checks” suggests that individuals who have the ability are presumed to be able to better their circumstances through education and to succeed regardless of their social or economic background. The implications for policy are seen in Brown v. Board of Education. Further, immigrants are acculturated through public schools. The idea that education is important for social integration and assimilation has implications in policy through the recognition of ethnic segregation of schools and the respondent rallying cry for multiculturalism and a more diverse education system to support multiculturalism. No state monopoly on education is reflected in the availability of choice among public, private, or parochial schools at the elementary, secondary, and college levels. Emphasis on local and parental control of public schools is evidenced by the number of local school boards and counties that control education decisions.