Question 1

Which statement reflects the Obama administration's stance with regard to No Child Left Behind?

Accepted Answer

The Obama administration's stance was that states should be given more flexibility and can receive NCLB waivers, and that incentives should be offered rather than punishments. This was reflected in the administration's granting of NCLB waivers to states and the implementation of programs like Race to the Top, which offered competitive grants to states that implemented education reforms.

Question 2

The growing cost of tuition at public universities in the United States is directly related to ______.

Accepted Answer

Public universities in the United States rely heavily on state funding to keep tuition costs low. However, in recent years, many states have drastically cut their funding for higher education, forcing universities to raise tuition in order to make up for the loss of revenue.

Question 3

______ is based on the idea that teachers should only receive pay raises for successful student performance.

Accepted Answer

Merit pay is a system in which teachers are given raises based on their individual performance, as measured by students' academic achievement. It is designed to encourage teachers to strive for better results by offering them financial incentives, and is often used as a way to reward teachers who go above and beyond in their work. Tenure (A) refers to a system that provides job security to teachers after a certain period of service, while years-in-service pay (C) is a system in which teachers are given raises based on their years of experience in teaching. Bonus pay (D) is a type of extra compensation that is awarded to teachers in certain circumstances, such as for teaching in high-demand subjects or schools.

Question 4

What is the federal government's role in higher education?

Accepted Answer

The federal government's role in higher education is mainly through providing grants and loans to certain categories of students, such as those with financial need or pursuing certain fields. The federal government also established land-grant colleges to provide education in agriculture and engineering. While the federal government does provide some funding to higher education institutions, it is not the primary funder. Affirmative Action programs are not the sole responsibility of the federal government and are also implemented by individual institutions.

Question 5

Which statement best describes the division of responsibility between state and federal governments with regard to K-12 educational policy?

Accepted Answer

The division of responsibility between state and federal governments with regard to K-12 educational policy is such that historically, the federal government has focused more on higher education, while states and local governments have primarily managed K-12 education. This dynamic has only begun to shift in more recent years with federal initiatives like No Child Left Behind.

Question 6

Which policy allows parents to send their children to any public school in a particular area?

Accepted Answer

School choice allows parents to choose and send their children to any public school in a particular area, providing them with more options and flexibility for their child's education. Affirmative action refers to policies that aim to address historical discrimination by providing opportunities for underrepresented groups, while school vouchers provide families with public funds to cover the cost of private school tuition. Charter schools are publicly funded schools that are operated independently of traditional public schools.

Question 7

In an attempt to use market incentives to improve school quality, the Obama administration created the ______ program, a competition for significant funding that required states to collect better data, innovate, and enhance teaching.

Accepted Answer

The program described is the Race to the Top program, which was created by the Obama administration to use market incentives to improve school quality. States were required to meet certain criteria and compete for significant funding, with a focus on collecting better data, innovating, and enhancing teaching. The other answer choices are not relevant to this particular program.

Question 8

In the fall of 2016, undergraduate enrollment was over ______ million students.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the fall of 2016, undergraduate enrollment...

Question 9

The ______ is a national test measuring student performance.

Accepted Answer

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a standardized test that assesses student performance in various subjects and is administered nationally to a sample of students in grades 4, 8, and 12. The other answer choices are not specific national tests for measuring student performance.

Question 10

The ______ was the first federal involvement in higher education; it funded many of the land-grant universities that still exist to this day.

Accepted Answer

The Morrill Act was the first federal involvement in higher education and provided funding for the establishment of land-grant universities. The other choices do not exist or are not related to the establishment of land-grant universities.

Question 11

The ______ program is one of the primary federal programs for low-income college students.

Accepted Answer

The Pell Grant program is specifically designed to provide financial aid for low-income college students. The other programs listed are not targeted solely at low-income students.

Question 12

In 1965, the ______ was the first major education legislation.

Accepted Answer

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 was the first major federal education legislation, providing funding for elementary and secondary education initiatives. The other options listed were not enacted until later years.

Question 13

Education is often cited as something that benefits more than just the person getting the education; it benefits society in a number of other ways. This is called ______.

Accepted Answer

A positive externality occurs when the consumption or production of a good or service by one person or group benefits another person or group who did not voluntarily incur the cost of that activity. Education is often seen as having positive externalities because as individuals improve their education, they can contribute more to society and the economy as a whole, such as by creating new technologies, enhancing productivity, or engaging in civic activities.

Question 14

How is public education (kindergarten through high school, or K-12) funded in the United States?

Accepted Answer

Public education in the United States is mostly funded by local property taxes. Each state also contributes some funds to the public education system, but the bulk of the funding comes from property taxes. The federal government provides some funding as well, but it is a relatively small portion of the overall funding for K-12 education.

Question 15

Which of the following is one of the most important funding issues for K-12 education?

Accepted Answer

Property taxes are typically the main source of funding for K-12 education, but they may not increase at the same rate as education costs, resulting in a lack of funding. This can lead to disparities in resources and opportunities for students in different school districts. Declining funding for school choice programs, the achievement gap, and regressive federal financing are all important issues for K-12 education, but they may not be as significant as the lack of buoyancy of property taxes.

Question 16

Who has played the biggest role in educational policy through U.S. history?

Accepted Answer

State and local governments have historically played the largest role in educational policy in the United States, as education is primarily a state and local responsibility according to the U.S. Constitution.

Question 17

Advocates of school choice and school voucher plans argue that ______ will lead to better-quality schools.

Accepted Answer

Advocates of school choice and school voucher plans argue that competition among schools will lead to better-quality schools. When parents have the ability to choose which school their child attends, schools have a greater incentive to improve and offer high-quality education in order to attract students. This competition can lead to improvements in academic performance, teacher effectiveness, and overall school quality.

Question 18

The issue of ______ has surfaced with regard to the financing of public education due to the fact that ______.

Accepted Answer

The issue of equity has surfaced with regard to the financing of public education due to the fact that poor students often attend schools with fewer resources and lower quality education compared to their wealthier peers. This perpetuates a cycle of income inequality and limits opportunities for upward mobility.

Question 19

Which policy allows parents with children in low-performing public schools to send their children to private schools at taxpayer expense?

Accepted Answer

The policy that allows parents with children in low-performing public schools to send their children to private schools at taxpayer expense is called school vouchers. This policy is intended to increase competition among schools and provide families with more options for their children's education. School choice and charter schools are related policies that also aim to provide families with alternatives to traditional public schools, but they may not involve the use of vouchers to pay for private school tuition. Affirmative action, on the other hand, is a policy designed to promote diversity and equal opportunity in education and employment. It is not directly related to the issue of school choice or private school vouchers.

Question 20

______ are public schools that serve a distinct population or have a more specialized educational emphasis (such as fine arts, science, or technology).

Accepted Answer

Charter schools are public schools that are given more freedom to operate independently while still being held accountable for student outcomes. They often have a more specialized educational emphasis, such as fine arts, science, or technology. Merit schools are not a commonly recognized term, private schools are not public schools, and choice schools is a more general term that could include all types of schools.

Quiz 10: Education Policy