Leadership for America

Education

Strengthening American education by returning authority to the states and...

Statement of Purpose

Every year, millions of children pass through America’s schools without receiving a quality education that prepares them to succeed in life, to compete in the increasingly competitive global economy, and to maintain the blessings and responsibilities of a free society. Among African American and Hispanic students, for example, only 56 and 52 percent of students graduate from high school. This widespread failure imposes unquantifiable costs on individual lives and our communities. As a country, it imperils our national security. For years, policymakers have sought to improve American schools by increasing government control. But decades of increased spending and increased federal control have yielded little improvement in student performance.

Objectives

1.To ensure that all parents are able to choose education for their children from a variety of options that prepare young people to maintain and expand the blessings and responsibilities of a free society.
2.To provide all Americans with access to the educational and cultural resources that contribute to upward mobility.

Does Spending More on Education Improve Achievement?

Debates about how to improve public education in America often focus on the argument that government should spend more. However, do historical evidence and academic research actually support that idea?

Find the answers here.
How States Are Roped in to Common Core Standards

The Heritage Foundation's Lindsey Burke explains how the Obama Administration used federal dollars to convince “cash-strapped” states to agree to national education standards.

Watch the full video here.
"Let Me Rise": A Lesson on the School Choice Debate

Let Me Rise is a 30-minute film produced by The Heritage Foundation about the school choice debate in our nation's capital and around the country.

Watch this compelling story now.
Reducing the Federal Footprint on Education

For nearly half a century, the federal government has tried to improve public education by continually increasing spending and creating new programs. However, that top-down approach has stripped state and local leaders of much of their power.

Learn the solution here.
Universal Preschool’s Empty Promises

Obama's proposed federal preschool expansion would further entangle Washington in the care of the youngest American children at a high price to taxpayers.

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College 2020: Higher Education and Online Institutions

College in the not too distant future will look substantially different from college today. The good news: It will be better and drastically cheaper.

Find out why.
Choosing to Succeed

In a new special report, Heritage experts explore the critical role of school choice in enacting real education reform for America's students.

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Reforming No Child Left Behind: Allow States to Opt-Out

After more than four decades of unsuccessful federal intervention, it is time for Congress to empower parents, local school leaders, state policymakers, and governors to strengthen public education.

Learn how that can be achieved.
Freeing Schools from Washington's Education Overreach

Renewed interest in restoring constitutional principles has sharpened debate on a variety of policy issues. Education is no exception.

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Reports
Commentary
Videos
Blog Posts

States Must Reject National Education Standards While There Is Still Time

States should take immediate steps to reject the nationalization of standards and tests—and, ultimately, curricula—and work to improve outcomes through reforms to state and local policy.

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Accreditation: Removing the Barrier to Higher Education Reform

America’s higher education system is in dire need of reform. Decoupling accreditation from federal financing is the first step.

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The Unknown Cost of Federal Student Loans

Posted April 24, 2013 by Jason Richwine, Ph.D.
College 2020

Posted March 26, 2013 by Vance H. Fried
Official Education Spending Figures Do Not Incorporate Full Cost of Teacher Pensions

Posted March 25, 2013 by Jason Richwine, Ph.D.
Universal Preschool’s Empty Promises

Posted March 12, 2013 by Lindsey Burke, Rachel Sheffield
Assessing the Harlem Children’s Zone

Posted March 6, 2013 by Danielle Hanson

View all

Experts From This Initiative

Lindsey Burke
Lindsey M. Burke researches and writes on federal and state education issues as the Will Skillman fellow in education policy at The Heri...
Jennifer A. Marshall
As director of domestic policy studies at The Heritage Foundation, Jennifer A. Marshall oversees research in areas that determine the ch...

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Protecting America and Americans from freedom’s enemies.
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Reestablishing the rule of law as the foundation for constitutional...

Leadership for America

Education

Statement of Purpose

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Experts From This Initiative

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