The New Federalism in Education
State Responses to the 1981 Education Consolidation and Improvement Act
Description:... The Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA) of 1981 is intended to provide opportunities for states and local governments to have more control of their educational programs and to deregulate the administration of federal programs. Introduced at a time when state funding and revenue systems are in flux and severely depleted, it presents states with many unanswered questions. ECIA funds are intended for working on school improvement programs, but lowered funding means officials' attention will be directed toward maintenance of existing programs. Decision-making relationships are left unclear by the ECIA, and compliance standards are uncertain. Chapter 1 of the ECIA will reduce educational services in nearly all school systems, and chapter 2 will do the same in at least the major cities. State education officials are concerned about the lack of direction provided by the United States Department of Education with respect to acceptable practices to be used in administering the ECIA. The amount of deregulation resulting from the ECIA is minimal; in some cases centralized decision-making is increased by the ECIA's policy of nonspecificity. State officials are keenly aware of the ambiguities in chapter 3, which extends responsibility to the states at the same time that it withholds controls. Further research on the effects of the ECIA should focus on administrative and programmatic changes that occur after implementation. (MD)
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