"U.S. millennials post ‘abysmal’ scores in tech skills test, lag behind foreign peers

[UptonSinclair]

The original Department of Education was created in 1867 to collect information on schools and teaching that would help the States establish effective school systems. While the agency's name and location within the Executive Branch have changed over the past 130 years, this early emphasis on getting information on what works in education to teachers and education policymakers continues down to the present day.

http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html

It appears the federal government has been involved in education far longer than many would like to admit.