Between 1945 and 1958, there was intense debate about federal aid to elementary and secondary schools. But after the failure of orbiting American space satellite the cause of which was, as critics pointed out, the deficiencies of American students in
mathematics, the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) of 1958 was passed, which appropriated federal funds to improve curricula in the areas considered crucial to national defense and security: mathematics, science and foreign languages.
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) encouraged development and implementation of special programs for children of low-income parents.
The energy crisis of early 1970s affected school budgets as operating costs rose and teachers sought higher salaries, the economic problem was further compounded by recession in heavy industries such as raining and steel manufacturing as well as in American-made automobiles and textiles. The result was that funding for education in the large northern states hit hardest by the economic recession could not keep pace with rising costs. At the same time the number of school age children was declining. Since slate aid formulas were based on the number of pupils in average daily attendance the amount of state funding decreased in many northern school districts. The general changes in the economy in the 1970s contributed to the climate of educational reform of the 1980s.
Several other important events of the 1970s had a direct effect on schooling. Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments to the Civil Rights Act prohibited discrimination against women in education programs receiving federal assistance. This legislation and later acts such as the Women's Educational Equity Act of 1974 evolved out of the extension of the civil rights movement to incorporate women's rights and concerns. Three years after, in 1975 Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. The Head Start and Bilingual Education Act improved opportunities for a group of children who had previously lacked full access to a quality education. In this case the new law established a national policy that children with hand leaps would receive an appropriate public education. An important provision was that whenever sible students with handicaps were to be "mainstreamed" into regular classrooms. Among the consequences of it was a restructuring of teacher education programs to prepare teachers for mainstreamed classrooms.
The 1970s also witnessed the creation of the US Department of Education. Proponents of a Department of Education had argued that education was so important to the national welfare that it should be represented by a cabinet level department. Further they argued that a national department would improve administrative efficiency by bringing various educational programs under the direction of a single agency. Opponents contended that the proposed department would involve the federal government in what historically was a prerogative of the states and local school districts. After considerable debate and with the support of President Jimmy Carter, legislation establishing the new department was passed in 1979. During the 1980s however the growth of federal involvement in education was reversed to some degree. The administration of President Ronald Reagan reduced federal financial support for education transferring much of the responsibility to state government.
Throughout the 1980s the condition of American education became once again a hotly debated topic. A series of national reports spotlighted failures in American schooling much as the critics of the Sputnik era had done. The loss of the U.S. dominance in the world economy was blamed in part on educational deficiencies particularly in mathematics and science. "A Nation at Risk", the most publicized of the national reports stated that the educational foundations of the society were presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatened the future of American people.
Stimulated by "A Nation at Risk" and similar reports, most of the states initiated reform legislation to improve academic achievement in mathematics, science and English. The reform efforts of the 1980s stressed academic standards subject matter courses and improved school discipline. For example in 1987 Secretary of Education William J. Bennett proposed a high school curriculum that prescribed four years of English and three years each of science, mathematics and social studies. This curriculum included a required core of essential subjects and a reduced number of elective courses. There was also an increased focus on the competency of teachers and the changes needed to raise the level of teaching professionalism.
As America moves into the 21st century a number of trends are clear. Curriculum is generally being shaped by an emphasis on subject matter competencies in English, mathematics and basic sciences. Computer literacy, computer assisted instruction and other technologies are making an impact on school programs that reflects the nation's transition to a high tech information society. There is a strong concern about the impact of foreign competition on the U.S. economy and a recognition that the competencies of the American workforce need to be improved by education and training. Private business and industry are taking a larger initiative to stimulate school reform and to design their own learning and training systems. The debate about school funding continues and the relative responsibilities of federal state and local agencies have yet to be fully resolved.
Whatever new trends may unfold in the 21st century the role of education will continue to be a central one for the evolution of American society.