American education is a complex topic because a single school can draw upon resources from several different public and private institutions. For example, a student may attend a private high school whose curriculum must meet standards set by the state, some of whose science courses may be financed by federal funds, and whose sports teams may play on local, publicly owned fields. Despite this complexity, however, it is possible to describe the broad contours of American education.

The president of the Institute for Educational Leadership discusses issues and trends in primary and secondary education in the United States. Is our nation’s historic commitment to mass public education appropriate in its current form? What are the prospects of experiments to improve public schooling? (From Society & Values)