The Federal Role in Increasing Equality of Educational Opportunity

Abstract

Kenneth Tollett outlines the role of the Congress, the executive branch, and the judiciary in increasing equality of educational opportunity. He argues that the federal role should be maintained to meet the national need for equal educational opportunity. Frank Ryan provides a historical account of the federal role in American Indian education,which has its basis in the treaty and commerce clauses of the U.S. Constitution. Henry Levin discusses the rationale for using federal grants to achieve greater equality of educational opportunities and outcomes. He analyzes the potential effects of different grant approaches on educational equity with special attention to some of the problems raised by current federal initiatives. In response, Rosemary Salomone illustrates how the concept of equal educational opportunity has undergone a gradual transformation during the past three decades. Arguing that the federal commitment to ensure racial equality is no longer of highest importance, Nathan Glazer asserts that the federal role in education today should emphasize quality. In reply to Glazer, Mary Berry contends that a quality education for all students depends on a strong federal role and a continued broad interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment. Mary Jo Bane raises questions concerning the future—what the federal role ought to be and where the political and intellectual energies of educators should be directed.