The Changing Role of the Federal Government in Educational Research and Statistics

Abstract

With the election of a Republican-controlled Congress in 1994, new questions are being raised about the federal role in education. Some members of Congress, for example, are questioning the need for a U.S. Department of Education and have even introduced legislation to abolish that cabinetlevel agency. While there are few indications at this time that the U.S. Department of Education will be terminated in the near future, disagreements over the proper role of the federal government in education matters have intensified. Interestingly, during the current debates over education, the topics of the federal role in research and statistics have surfaced only occasionally. Attention more often is focused on either federal aid to edu? cation or federal regulation of schools; the issue of federal funding and dissemination of research and statistics usually is ignored or discussed only in passing.1 Most educators and policy makers during the past 125 years have supported federal engagement in educational research and statistics, but a few individuals and groups have questioned that involvement. Even proponents of a federal role in educational research and statistics differ over the nature and extent of that involvement. Moreover, considerable doubt continues to be expressed about the utility of most educational research or statistics to actually help k-12 students and teachers. Different opinions about the nature and advisability of federal involvement in educational research and statistics are scattered throughout policy debates, federal agency mission statements, and academic discussions. Surprisingly little effort has been made to examine systematically the diverse and changing yiews of the federal role in sponsoring educational research and statistics. As a result, most current policy debates about the