| Use of federal funds |
Mixed flows; funds can route through varied entities; uneven public benefit. |
Federal dollars limited to LEA-run public schools; traceable, non-transferable to non-LEA entities. |
| Promotion/retention |
Varies widely by state/district; social promotion common; minimal due process. |
Promotion contingent on mastery; mandatory remediation plans, parent notice, appeals, and disparity monitoring. |
| Graduation pathways |
Often single academic track or fragmented CTE; credit loss when switching. |
Three equal pathways (Academic/Technical/Artistic), credit portability matrices, counseling support to prevent delays. |
| Assessments |
High-stakes annual tests; instructional distortion and time drain. |
Quarterly, low-burden evaluations to improve instruction; 2% time cap; validated alternatives allowed; bias review. |
| Grading practices |
Curves and quotas persist in places. |
Bans curves that force failure/success independent of mastery. |
| Classroom feedback |
Irregular surveys; opaque handling of complaints. |
360° reviews from students/parents/teachers/admin; anonymized public aggregates; response timelines. |
| Teacher compensation |
Opaque scales; uneven by district; slow alignment to market. |
Market-benchmarked pay; public reporting; equity requirements; mediation within bargaining cycles. |
| Resource equity |
Property-tax dependence drives gaps; minimal national standards. |
National minimum standards for facilities/tech/materials/extracurriculars; phased compliance over 7 years. |
| Enforcement |
Limited federal leverage; audits inconsistent; long-tail noncompliance. |
OPEA audits; corrective action; court-approved, due-process receivership with limited scope, reviews, and exit criteria. |
| School meals |
Means-tested; stigma and administrative friction. |
Universal, free, nutritionally complete meals; allergy/cultural protocols; no stigma; à la carte revenue restricted. |
| Professional development |
Inconsistent quality; unpaid time; limited mentorship. |
Job-embedded PD, paid time, two-year mentorship, micro-credentials recognized with differentials and impact reporting. |
| Technology standards |
Patchwork devices/connectivity; weak sustainability. |
Minimum tech standards; campus broadband + off-campus supports; Buy American, repairability, e-waste rules. |
| Digital literacy |
Uneven integration; limited AI/privacy education. |
K–12 standards for media literacy, cybersecurity, data privacy, coding, and AI literacy. |
| Data privacy |
FERPA baseline; broad vendor variation. |
Consent for non-instructional data, minimization, one-year retention limit, breach reporting, DPOs, vendor audits, ad/tracking bans. |
| Mental health |
High ratios; access gaps; ad hoc telehealth. |
Staffing ratios (1:250 counselors, 1:500 psychologists) phased in; trauma-informed care; secure telehealth; FERPA/HIPAA compliance. |
| Curriculum transparency |
Limited public visibility; slow updates. |
Publish curricula/syllabi online; 30-day update rule; evidence-based panels resolve disputes; beliefs discussed, facts intact. |
| Public dashboards |
Scattered reporting; hard to compare. |
Quarterly, disaggregated dashboards on mastery, pay equity, resource parity, mental health access, digital literacy. |
| Teacher pipeline |
Shortages; costly preparation; mobility barriers. |
Scholarships, paid residencies, loan forgiveness (5 years in high-need schools), housing support, credential reciprocity. |
| Special populations |
Fragmented supports; uneven outcomes. |
Dedicated funding for EL, gifted, homeless, foster youth; civil rights outcome monitoring and corrective action. |
| Safety and climate |
Policy variance; uneven implementation. |
Restorative justice, anti-bullying, trauma-informed discipline; bias-free civil rights alignment; facility safety inspections. |
| Facilities & transportation |
Deferred maintenance; diesel fleets; accessibility gaps. |
Capital grants for HVAC, water, accessibility, modernization; cleaner buses; 7-year phased compliance. |
| Community schools |
Limited integration with health/social services. |
Encouraged integration; federal partnerships; biennial impact evaluations. |
| Pilots & research |
Ad hoc; uneven evaluation. |
Pilots authorized; IES longitudinal studies; 10-year reauthorization with independent evaluation. |
| Collective bargaining |
Contracts vary; alignment slow. |
Existing CBAs respected; future CBAs align to benchmarks; mediation/arbitration when compliance is blocked. |
| Charter treatment |
Eligibility varies by program; transparency inconsistent. |
LEA-run charters treated as public and eligible; independent charters not funded under this Act; equivalent transparency if funded elsewhere. |
| State waivers |
Wide discretion; mixed guardrails. |
Innovation waivers allowed with equal-or-better equity/accountability, independent evaluation, 5-year sunset; core guardrails intact. |
| Rulemaking deadlines |
Often open-ended; delayed guidance. |
Interim guidance at 180 days; final regs at 365; default standards apply if deadlines slip. |
| Interagency coordination |
Siloed USDA/FCC/HHS/FTC/EPA actions. |
Council mandates joint guidance, shared data standards, annual public reports, and quarterly stakeholder meetings. |
| Legal durability |
Vulnerable to piecemeal challenges. |
Severability clause; Spending Clause conditioning; due-process receivership; explicit preemption where needed. |
| Effective date |
Program-specific start times. |
Starts next fiscal year; phased timelines for devices (3y), mental health (5y), facilities (7y). |