ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we describe the roles and responsibilities of local, state, and federal government, as well as the role of the courts. We also identify ideologies that compete and exert influence in the education policymaking process. The chapter concludes with a focus on high-stakes
accountability policies, the heated debates they inspire, and the impacts they are having on students, schools, and teachers. We attend to public policies and public schools specifically, because public schools serve nearly 90 percent of students nationwide, and because private schools are exempt from all but a few government policies.
