Education Shift: Transparency, Flexibility, and Local Control

The biggest headline from the Department of Education this week: Secretary Linda McMahon has directed the National Center for Education Statistics to begin collecting detailed admissions data from colleges and universities, with the intent to root out race-based preferences and promote what the administration calls “full transparency” in higher education. This move follows the recent Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and growing calls for merit-driven admissions. Secretary McMahon emphasized, “We will not allow institutions to blight the dreams of students by presuming that their skin color matters more than their hard work and accomplishments. The Trump Administration will ensure that meritocracy and excellence once again characterize American higher education.” At the same time, the Department has sent letters to every state’s school chief, inviting them to take advantage of statutory flexibilities and seek waivers under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This policy shift is meant to empower states to direct federal funds in ways they believe best address student needs without burdensome red tape. Hayley Sanon, Acting Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, put it plainly: “The recent NAEP results are a wake-up call… we encourage states to use the full range of flexibilities available to craft solutions that meet the unique needs of their students.” The Department is positioning itself as a facilitator, not a regulator, encouraging states to innovate and respond directly to community needs. In another development, the Department’s Office for Civil Rights has launched a new investigation into Duke University and the Duke Law Journal for an alleged Title VI violation, and just concluded that five Northern Virginia school districts violated Title IX, impacting policies around gender discrimination and access. Meanwhile, the administration has approved Missouri’s request to pilot innovative statewide student assessments. For citizens, these developments mean your local and state officials now have unprecedented leeway to modify education policy and spending, with less federal interference. For schools and universities, new federal data and transparency requirements, along with shifting enforcement priorities, may mean significant compliance changes ahead. Businesses reliant on federal education programs should closely monitor funding releases, as recent announcements confirm that all outstanding education funding will be disbursed as of July 25. State and local governments now have more agency but also more responsibility—and scrutiny. With transparency initiatives and federal civil rights investigations moving quickly, school districts and colleges must be deliberate and thorough in how they collect, report, and act on student data. Internationally, these changes signal a clear pivot toward local control and away from federally driven education policy, which may influence how Americ