As children head back to school for a new term, the director of the Brown Center on Education policy at Brookings, Grover "Russ" Whitehurst discusses the forces at work in reforming the nation’s education system and the legislative agenda facing Congress and the White House. After the reforms of "No Child Left Behind" in the Bush administration, and President Obama's "Race to the Top" initiative, what new directions should federal policy direct toward local schools?