National Education Policy

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National education policy promotes standardization throughout the country's public school system. In the United States, national education policy is commonly associated with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). This law was passed by George W. Bush after he promised substantial education reform during his campaign to become President. This national education policy aims to improve academic achievement by increasing the accountability of teachers. Teachers are required to teach basic skills that are then assessed through standardized tests. Test outcomes are used to determine whether the school receives funding from the federal government.

The passage of national education policies like NCLB is a relatively rare occurrence due to the wording of the U.S. Constitution. This document outlines the powers of Congress and the President. Areas not discussed explicitly, like education, are assumed to fall within the authority of the states. National education policy threatens to override state authority on this issue.

In fact, NCLB is careful to not assume too much federal power. While a national education policy, the NCLB does not assign specific standards or require states to meet them. Rather, the setting of educational standards are determined on a case-by-case basis by state governments. Future efforts to reform national education policy will likely be limited due to concerns over potential objections based upon constitutional claims.