Foundations and Assessment of Education/Edition 1/Foundations Table of Contents/Chapter 7/7.3.2

Learning Objectives
To distinguish the levels of importance of federal, state and local agencies in the education system.

To identify the more prominent educational agencies on each level.

To identify the important perspectives on education that each level has imposed.

Introduction
With nations worldwide increasing their educational standards and advancing globally, it is important that the United States maintain the most efficient form of public education possible. The United States educational system has many different components that are constantly changing to further improve the demand for a more efficient educational system. Education is influenced by many organizations on the local, state and federal levels, each with more influential power than the next. The United States education system is set up with little regulation from the federal government, allowing each state to impose its own regulations. This article will talk about the different contributions from each level of authority.

Local
The components of the local education system begin with the people of the community, parents, teachers and the students themselves. Not all local education agencies or LEAs are responsible for providing education but rather contributing in research and in funds. Each school is responsible for its own performance, conduct of the school, control of the school, hiring staff, budgets, curriculum implementation, repair and maintenance and in some cases admissions. Public Education at the general level is organized by school districts, which are governed by the school boards. With other local agencies they have the authority to perform operational oversight and administrative support (VDOE, 2009). In the city of Virginia Beach, the school board is the one who makes all the policies for the city's public schools. The administrators and teachers within the city are expected to familiarize themselves with these policies in order to implement them into the school system (VBCPS, 2009).

State
Educators, Parents, Politicians and Scholars are constantly asking questions about the policy making of the state. Each state has its own constitution defining the regulations of public education for that particular state. The policies of a state are based on several factors including its history, geography and its demographics because each state has different needs and characteristics (Marshall, Mitchell and Wirt,1989, p. 8). The state implements the minimum education standards and then encourages the advancement of these standards on the local level. Giving charge to the state for its own educational responsibilities also charges the state to come up with its own finances. The federal government sets aside as little less than nine percent of its budget to give to elementary and secondary education. School systems draw their funds by fund raising and the implementation of property taxes. Some states set tax limits that require the state to have a strict budget breakdown (Wirt and Kurst, 1972, p. 115). The main state agency to implement regulations is the State Department of Education. In Virginia the State Department of Education consists of several different offices that deal with each important component that make up the education system. These divisions include the superintendent of public instruction, division of student assessment and school improvement, division of finance, division of instruction, division of policy and communication, division of special education and student services, division of teacher education and licensure, and the division of technology and career education (VDOE, 2009). All of these divisions compose the Virginia Department of Education.

Federal
Under the United States Constitution, the federal government contributes little to the education system and leaves most of the power up to each individual state (US Department of Education, 2009). The primary federal agency involved with education is the department of education. It was created in 1867, and has changed its name several times since then, but still maintains the same mission "to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access" ( US Department of Education, 2009). In 1965, the United States passed a piece of legislation that affected the education system tremendously. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act or ESEA was imposed with a major component being the Title One. The Department of Education's role in Title One is to develop the guidelines regarding the approval of Title One projects. Curriculum is another topic of increased federal input. Although the majority of curriculum input is still left up to each individual state, Federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation and Department of Education have encouraged the implementation of new curriculum standards among the main subjects. Also although each different district within the state has its own School Board and Superintendent the Federal Government has created The National School Boards Association (NSBA) and the American Association of School Administration (AASA). Each organization provides information and resources from school boards nationwide and the chief executives or superintendents nationwide.

Conclusion
Although schools do recognize that they have considerable freedom in their policies, they also recognize the importance of cooperation between local education authorities and the community as a whole. With the collaboration between the three branches of agents within the educational system, the system can work as a functional whole (Corrigan, 2000).

Multiple Choice Questions
1) If your parents were unhappy about the way your school was being run, who would they most likely go to?  a)The US Department of Education b)The State Department of Education  c)The State Board of Education d)The Board of Education in your district.

2) Which of the following acts came into effect in 1965?  a)No child left behind b)Virginia Standards of Learning  c)Equal Opportunity Act d)Elementary and Secondary Education Act

3) Which of the following is not a goal of the state of Virginia?  a)Establishing the test standards b)Implementing the no child left behind act  c)Develop guidelines for Title One d)Determing qualifications of teachers

4) What role is typically that of the state, but is increasing becoming nationally regulated?  a)Curriculum b)Funding  c)Teacher Requirements d)Graduation Requirements

Answers
1)d 2)d 3)c 4)a