ESEA Reauthorization: On Deck

Next up for the Department of Education: the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). All indication are that the priorities for the reauthorization will mirror the four policy assurances of ARRA. The reauthorization will likely be a challenging process for federal policymakers; there is a tension between the desire of a new administration to want to make a major shift in priorities for ESEA and the realities of a tough budget situation. An assistant secretary commented that Secretary Duncan’s goal is to be “tight on goals and loose on means,” and that he is working, through ARRA as well as the upcoming reauthorization, to shift the Department away from its traditional compliance focus and towards a focus on supporting innovation and rewarding success.