A comprehensive analysis of the Department of Education's failure to improve student performance over time.

Since its establishment over 40 years ago, the Department of Education has aimed to improve the U.S. school system. However, with incoming political leaders, including President-elect Trump, considering dismantling the agency, a Planet Chronicle Digital review assesses the trends in test scores, graduation rates, and federal funding since its inception. The following are the results of those findings.

In 1980, the Department of Education was officially established by Congress, under the leadership of former President Jimmy Carter.

Since its inception, the department has faced opposition from Republican lawmakers, despite its mandate to establish policy, manage and coordinate federal aid for educational institutions nationwide.

Trump stated that he plans to dismantle the agency upon taking office, questioning whether the department is vital to education advancement or if schools would thrive under a more decentralized education system.

The educational system today differs significantly from the one established by the agency. The ongoing debate about the control of local school systems by individual states or the federal government has been reignited with Trump's impending presidency.

"The Heritage Foundation's Center for Education Policy director, Lindsey Burke, criticized the federal government's efforts to improve education, stating that even if there was a constitutional basis for its involvement, the government is not well-suited to determine the best education policies for the diverse local communities across the country."

It has been argued that the existence of a department with specialized expertise enables individuals to make informed funding decisions.

The Department of Education was established to possess in-house expertise and policy background on education issues, as stated by Clare McCann, the managing director of policy and operations at the Postsecondary Equity & Economics Research (PEER) Center in November.

"The Department of Education's civil servants are highly skilled in their field."

Falling Test Scores

Since the Department of Education was established over 40 years ago, there has been a significant decrease in average test scores among students.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for the 2022–2023 school year reports that both math and reading scores among 13-year-old students are at their lowest levels in decades.

The Department of Education is responsible for mandating standardized testing in schools, despite not having control over students' test performance. In 2024, NAEP reported that schools had reached their lowest scores in decades.

In the 1990s, the average U.S. ACT composite score was approximately 20.8, according to data from the NCES. However, since then, standardized test scores have decreased. As per the 2024 ACT data, Nevada has the lowest test scores in the country, with an average score of 17.2, while Oklahoma follows with the second-lowest average score of 17.6.

Today's test scores, as revealed by National Center for Educational Statistics Commissioner Peggy G. Carr, are alarming.

Despite schools reopening after moving to online learning during the 2020 pandemic, Carr stated that the decline observed was present in 2015, meaning that the current situation cannot solely be attributed to COVID-19.

Typically, the average test scores in the U.S. are determined using standardized testing. In contrast, European and East Asian countries, which do not use ACT or SAT testing, tend to have higher test scores.

Funding

While supporters of a specialized education organization argue that federal intervention benefits the system, numerous detractors contend that it is a futile expenditure of public funds.

The Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, enacted in 1989, mandated specific funding allocation requirements for schools, including the provision of a campus drug and alcohol abuse prevention program.

Under President Biden, the Department of Education has allocated funds towards diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in K-12 schools nationwide, which some critics argue takes away from the primary educational goals.

According to a recent study, the Department of Education under Biden allocated $1 billion in grants to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the hiring process, as reported by Planet Chronicle Digital.

The Biden administration has spent a total of $1,002,522,304.81 on grants, general DEI programming, and DEI-based mental health training and programming since 2021, according to Parents Defending Education, a right-leaning nonprofit.

Allowing department leaders to decide how funding is distributed could be a straightforward solution to rethinking the department, according to Neal McCluskey, an education analyst at the Cato Institute, as stated in an interview with ABC News in November.

Graduation Rates

In the 1970-1971 academic year, high school graduation rates stood at 78%.

In 1982, the graduation rate dropped to a 72.9% average, shortly after the Department of Education was established.

According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, rates remained in the low 70th percentiles until the early 2000s.

The average graduation rate for public high school students in the 2021–2022 school year was 87%, which is seven percentage points higher than the rate from a decade ago.

Curriculum

Advances in technology have revolutionized education for students, replacing cursive writing lessons with typing, improving math instruction with digital tools, and reducing the need for traditional map reading skills with GPS technology.

The school system has been influenced by the technology-driven workforce, with computer and artificial intelligence classes being prioritized over traditional home economics classes like sewing and baking.

Instead of the Department of Education setting curriculum requirements for schools, it is the responsibility of state and local school boards to make these decisions.

Recent political discussions have centered on curriculum changes, particularly regarding parents' desire for greater involvement in their child's classroom. Across the country, parents have expressed opposition to certain topics being taught in their child's curriculum, often related to gender and sex, and have reportedly not been informed about the content before it was shared in class.

An elementary school in the New York City suburbs is teaching a "gender curriculum" to elementary-level children to promote "inclusion" in school, as reported by Planet Chronicle Digital.

In 2016, the OSPI established health education standards for all public schools, mandating that kindergarten and first-grade students be taught that "gender can be expressed in various ways."

In 2016, the state board of education in Oregon adopted health education standards that required kindergartners and first-graders to recognize that there are multiple ways to express gender, while third-graders were expected to be able to define sexual orientation, according to a report by Fox in 2022.

Those who oppose the Department of Education, including Trump, have utilized examples of contentious curriculum to assert that parents should have greater control over their child's education.

The Republican president who was about to take office was not the first to suggest abolishing the department. Ronald Reagan, a former president, had previously advocated for this idea to give more control to local needs and preferences in determining the education of children.

Reagan stated in 1981 that the only way to reduce the size and expense of large government is by removing unnecessary agencies that hinder progress.

David Kanani, president of Los Angeles ORT College, a Jewish education nonprofit, proposed that the department be tidied up instead of being completely eliminated.

"The Department of Education should prioritize STEM education as a national imperative and collaborate more effectively with state and local systems, rather than eliminating the department."

Andrew Clark, the president of advocacy group yes. every kid., stated that Trump should create pathways to reform the education system instead of dismantling the entire department.

To bring about genuine transformation, it is essential to implement strategies that positively impact individuals' lives. If you abruptly implement changes without considering their consequences, you will inflict harm on those who rely on them. Therefore, you must devise a plan to make gradual changes.

In order to make any changes to the Education Department, Trump would require congressional approval.

Currently, Republicans hold a majority in both the House and Senate, allowing them to pass new legislation on the laws governing and penalizing the department.

Planet Chronicle' Kristine Parks and Jessica Chasmar contributed to this report.