A study explored the changes in the federal role in education prior to and after the May 1980 Implementation Plan for the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The documents related to the creation of ED determine if any change in the federal role in education was expressed through program components included in the new ED, and those programs not included. First, the history of past efforts to create a cabinet-level Department is presented. Second, the components of the ED described in the Implementation Plan of May 1980 are then outlined. Third, the data and transcriptions from the hearings relating to specific statements about education programs are presented. Last, an analysis of the data summarizing actual results from the reorganization suggests some implications of these changes. The creation of ED was of real worth, especially if its potential for evolving as the central focus for formulating education policy is considered. Although several new programs were added to the new ED, the administration of President Carter fell short of its goal to combine all important education programs into a single organization. Special interest groups were active and effective in protecting programs when such groups believed inclusion of its "program" in ED would gain nothing for their program agenda. Education programs in sufficient numbers were moved to the ED to suggest that the final configuration had potential to have an impact on federal education policy and thus affect local, state, and regional education performance. End notes are provided for each chapter. (Contains 28 references.) (JMD)