ABSTRACT
The federal and state governments have traditionally experienced an uneasy relationship in determining responsibilities for education in the United States. Although Ronald Reagan was opposed to a federal role in education, he assembled the National Commission on Excellence in Education; its report, A Nation at Risk, noted that our educational system was producing mediocre results. Prompted by Reagan’s assignment of common curriculum to the states, in 1989 former President George Bush held the National Education Summit. The emphasis on assessment and accountability led to the development of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. NCLB purports to improve public schools by enforcing a system of standards and accountability through high-stakes testing of students and sanctions for poor school performance and noncompliance. In 2002, major management and political changes took place in New York City that mirrored many of the educational power struggles at the federal level.
