Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

E28468

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is a landmark U.S. federal law that greatly expanded federal funding and support for public K–12 education, particularly for disadvantaged students.


Statements (64)
Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal statute
education law
administeredBy Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
United States Department of Education
amendedBy Education Amendments of 1967
Education Amendments of 1968
Education Amendments of 1974
Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981
Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015
Improving America’s Schools Act of 1994
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
appliesTo local educational agencies
public elementary schools
public secondary schools
citation Public Law 89-10
containsProgram Title I
Title II
Title III
Title IV
Title V
Title VI
Title VII
country United States
dateSigned 1965-04-11
effectiveDate 1965-04-11
enactedBy 89th United States Congress
focusArea K–12 education
educational equity
public schools
fundingMechanism federal grants to states
formula grants to local educational agencies
historicalSignificance expanded the federal role in K–12 education
first major general federal aid-to-education program for elementary and secondary schools in the United States
linked federal education funding to efforts to address poverty and inequality
influencedBy War on Poverty
jurisdiction federal government of the United States
language English
locationSigned Johnson City, Texas
notableComponent Title I, Part A
partOf Great Society legislation
policyArea civil rights
education policy
presidentAtEnactment Lyndon B. Johnson
primaryPurpose to close achievement gaps between disadvantaged students and their peers
to improve educational opportunities for disadvantaged children
to provide federal funding for elementary and secondary education
prohibits use of federal funds for non-secular religious instruction
reauthorizedAs Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
relatedConcept Title I schools
federal education accountability
requires assessment and reporting of student achievement data
maintenance of effort by states and local educational agencies
state education plans
shortName ESEA
signedBy Lyndon B. Johnson
statutesAtLargeCitation 79 Stat. 27
supersededInPartBy No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
targetPopulation English learners
disadvantaged students
low-income students
migrant students
title Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
TitleIPrimaryPurpose to provide financial assistance to local educational agencies with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families


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