政策疑惑與接軌：《每位學生成功法案》「總結規則」於政權過渡期間實施爭議與銜接因應之探討   免費試閱

Policy Suspicion and Connection: The Implementing Controversies and Coping Tasks of ESSA’s “Final Regulations” during the Period of Transition of Power

D. Trump於2016年11月8日贏得總統大選後，B. Obama政府隨即趕在交接前於11月29日公布《每位學生成功法案》（Every Student Succeeds Act, ESSA）的「總結規則」（Final Regulations），如果說長達391頁的ESSA是美國未來10年的教改主軸，那麼篇幅亦有173頁的「總結規則」堪稱具體實施ESSA的主要推手。「總結規則」原本預定於2017年1月30日開始生效，主要觸及州績效系統、資料報告與州整合計畫等三項ESSA的執行條款，此三者共同架構出ESSA的政策執行方向與細則，各州在績效責任計畫的擬定與推動概皆按圖索驥，以其為參照和修訂的基準藍圖。攸關ESSA執行成敗的「總結規則」發布於Obama政權交接的前一個月，卻在Trump上任後二個月遭到廢止，短短百日之內「利多出盡」，各州臨此驟變咸認措手不及且滿腹狐疑，Trump政府大破之後如何大立，當為其教育政策施政的首要課題。從政策分析的角度來看，「總結規則」的「百日政變」始末，不啻提供了絕佳實例審視執政者接收政策回饋後的回應態度，同時檢視其政策回應對於實際政策問題的對應程度。本文循此政策脈絡依序說明「總結規則」起落的前因後果，探討其在政權過渡期間所引發的一連串政策效應與爭議，分析新政府在將之廢除後所面臨的政策挑戰與抉擇，以及為消除政策疑惑和進行政策接軌的因應作為。本文研究發現，Trump政府補救措施主要在提供配套機制，採取避開制定新「總結規則」的繁複途徑，改以另類、彈性的致各州學校主管的公開信，以及修訂「州整合計畫規定模組」的方式，致力解答各州政策疑慮並協助政策銜接的進行。

“Final Regulations” primarily cover three implement provisions of ESSA regarding statewide accountability systems, data reporting, and consolidated state plans, the three of which provide states with clarity and direction, and ensure that the implementation of the key requirements of ESSA is consistent with the purpose of the law while initiating the state plans. Being highly critical to ESSA’s implementing outcomes but valid for only one hundred days, “Final Regulations” were issued one month before B. Obama stepped down but were repealed two months after D. Trump took the office, causing states to be caught unprepared and resulting in lots of chaos and confusion. It is thus Trump’s educational policy priority how to handle the consequences of the demolition of “Final Regulations”. From the perspective of policy analysis, this whole process offers the best occasion not only for reviewing how policymakers respond to the policy feedback, but also for examining the degree to which how the responses match the policy problems. Going along the above policy context, this paper aims to explore the rise and fall of “Final Regulations”, analyze its policy controversies and impacts during the transition of power, and investigate the coping measures for its policy suspicion and connection by Trump administration. It is found that instead of issuing a new “Final Regulations,” Trump’s administration alternatively provided the matching mechanism by releasing “a letter to chief state school officer,” and modifying the consolidated state plan template, with a view to reducing states’ policy suspicion and strengthening policy connection.