There are 52 education systems in the USA (one for each state, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico). While, the federal government shares legislative authority over education, administrative control rests with states and is the responsibility of state boards of education and local districts.

School Level Policy

Accountability
In recent years, US education reform has emphasized accountability, including the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which was signed into law in January 2002.  The law promotes four main principles: accountability based on results; increased flexibility and local control for state use of federal funding; more choice for parents; targeted funding for education methods proven to work.

States, districts and individual schools that improve performance will be rewarded with bonus federal funds, while those failing to reach acceptable standards will be offered special assistance for a limited period. Accountability will be monitored through annual tests in reading and math from the third grade through eighth grade (ages 9-14).  Each state will devise its own test system or adapt existing tests.

Literacy also has been a clear priority, with the goal of raising literacy levels and ensuring that all children can read by the third grade (age nine).

School choice
Parents of children in "failing" schools will have more options: to transfer their child to a better public school or public charter school (a nonsectarian public school which operates under a charter allowing them freedom from many of the regulations that apply to traditional public schools).  Federal funding could also be used to purchase supplementary services such as private tutoring and summer school programs.  A provision for school vouchers – using government money to offset the cost of sending a child from an under-performing public school to a private school -  was not contained in the No Child Left Behind Act, but continues to come up as an issue in many states.

Teaching
All states wishing to receive federal education funds must ensure that, within four years, all teachers are professionally qualified in their subject area.

For further information, refer to our links to US education organizations and agencies.