This book contains papers first presented at the September 1976 Symposium on the Federal Interest in Financing Schooling. Participants responded to three questions. First, given what we know about federal goals in education, how appropriate are the areas in which federal involvement is currently concentrated? Second, how effective are existing federal policy instruments in achieving those goals? Third, what change in the federal role in financing schooling should be made? Eight papers are included. Michael Timpane discusses "Federal Aid to Education: Prologue and Prospects"; John J. Callahan and William H. Wilken offer "The Federal Role in School Financing: A View from the States"; Betsy Levin examines "The Courts as Educational Policymakers and Their Impact on Federal Programs"; and Stephen J. Carroll outlines "The Federal Influence on the Production and Employment of Teachers.""A Federal Role in the General Program of School Finance" is detailed by Lawrence L. Brown III and Alan L. Ginsburg; "Federal Assistance to National Target Groups: The ESEA Title I Experience" is assessed by Robert J. Goettel; "Federal Support for Improved Educational Practice" is considered by Paul Berman and Milbrey Wallin McLaughlin; and "Federal Education Goals and Policy Instruments: An Assessment of the 'Strings' Attached to Categorical Grants in Education" is discussed by Stephen M. Barro. (Author/JM)