Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, Public Law 89-10), enacted in 1965 as part of the Johnson Administration’s War on Poverty, was the most ambitious and far-ranging federal education law. Its primary purpose was to ensure full educational opportunity by providing additional resources for low-income students. Title I of the law distributes funding to schools and school districts with a high percentage of students from low-income families. Other sections of the law are:

• Title II – School Library Resources, Textbooks, and other Instructional Materials
• Title III – Supplementary Educational Centers and Services
• Title IV – Educational Research And Training
• Title V – Grants To Strengthen State Departments Of Education
• Title VI – Aid to Handicapped Children
• Title VII – Bilingual Education Programs
• Title VIII – General Provisions

Most major education reform laws since 1965, including No Child Left Behind (2002) and Every Student Succeeds Act (2015) are reauthorizations of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.