“A fine blend of legislative history and political theory, enlivened by a huge treasure trove of interviews with Congressional and agency staff.”
—From the Foreword by Carl Kaestle

“This book fills a glaring void in contemporary education scholarship. DeBray's analysis is sophisticated, reaching beyond the formal system to examine how various ‘extra’ system players including think tanks and associations partake in making federal education policy.”
—James P. Spillane, Spencer T. & Ann W. Olin Chair in Learning and Organizational Change, Northwestern University

In this fascinating account, the author examines the politics of federal education policy through the lens of the most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Using the epic battle that spanned two Congresses and two presidential administrations, this book illustrates the new dynamics of political interactions and policy formulation as they affect public education issues. Highlighting the polarization between the two parties and how it affected the outcome of the bill, this book:

• Explains why President Bush succeeded in passing an expansive education bill, No Child Left Behind, and President Clinton failed to do so.
• Describes the changing institutional relationships and shows why practitioner groups were largely left out of the process.
• Reveals how leaders in the House and Senate were able to compromise on provisions like testing, choice, and accountability.
• Reframes the analysis of the changed political and institutional environment in which education policy decisions will be made in the new century.

Chapters include: The Increasing Role of Partisanship in Congress • Education Policy in the 1990s • The Demise of the Clinton Administration’s Proposal • Election Year and Stalemate in the Senate • Bush, Kennedy, and the New Democrats Play Alliance Politics • Bargaining: Choice, Accountability, Testing, and Funding • The Politics of Passage: No Child Left Behind Becomes a Law • A Rocky Start to Implementation, 2002–2004 • The Future of Federal Education Policy in the 21st Century

Elizabeth H. DeBray is an Assistant Professor in the College of Education at the University of Georgia. She served as Program Analyst at the U.S. Department of Education, research assistant with the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE), and research associate with the Civil Rights Project at Harvard.