U.S. Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education is an agency within the federal government whose mission is to assure equal access to educational opportunity, improve the quality of education, encourage public involvement in education, and promote educational research (Department of Education Organization Act, 1979). In accordance with the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the primary responsibility for American education rests not with the federal government, but with the individual states (Jacob & Hartshorne, 2003). State governments, in turn, typically delegate responsibility for the daily operation of schools to local educational agencies, such as school boards and county offices of education. Thus, schools are built, curricula are established, and graduation requirements are set under the authority of state and local government. In comparison to these broad powers, the role of the federal government in American education is decidedly limited. Nevertheless, the federal government wields enormous power in shaping educational policy through federal legislation, including antidiscrimination legislation and targeted federal funding, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Education.

Founded in 1876, the U.S. Department of Education (originally titled the Office of Education) was established to provide information and support to states in developing successful school systems. The department's scope expanded considerably with the passage of the Second Morrill Act in 1890, which included support for the newly emerging program of land-grant colleges and universities. During the first half of the 20th century, job-focused vocational education became a popular target for federal dollars (Smith-Hughes Act, 1917; George-Barden Act, 1947), providing courses in agriculture, industry, and home economics to high school students across the nation. Federal spending expanded further following World War II when approximately eight million veterans attended college under the “GI Bill of Rights.” Officially known as the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, this legislation provided, among other benefits, books, tuition, educational supplies, and counseling to veterans wishing to continue their education after returning from military service (Schugurensky; U.S. Department of Education).

Triggered by the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik, the National Defense Education Act of 1958 was the first in a series of comprehensive federal laws that greatly affected public education in the following years. Broad antidiscrimination and antipoverty legislation was enacted in the 1960s and 1970s, promoting equal access to education irrespective of race, gender, disability, or income level (title VI, Civil Rights Act, 1964; title I, Elementary and Secondary Education Act, 1965; title IX, Education Amendments Act, 1972; section 504, Rehabilitation Act, 1973). However, it was not until 1980, under Public Law 96–88, that the Department of Education received formal recognition as a U.S. cabinet-level agency service (U.S. Department of Education).

At present, the department includes the cabinetlevel secretary of education, a deputy secretary, and an undersecretary of education. In addition to a number of administrative offices, the department has the following eight major program offices, each of which is [Page 578]responsible for a specific domain of federal support to education:

• 1.
  The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) provides financial assistance through formula and discretionary grants for preschool through secondary schooling.
• 2.
  The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) assists in the education of children and adults with disabilities and supports competitive grants for disability research.
• 3.
  The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) enforces antidiscrimination laws.
• 4.
  The Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students (OELA) supports educational programs for students with limited language skills in English.
• 5.
  The Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) provides assistance for adult education programs in basic skills as preparation for employment.
• 6.
  The Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) provides grants, loans, and jobs to economically disadvantaged students wishing to extend their education beyond high school.
• 7.
  The Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) collects, analyzes, and disseminates statistical information about the American education system, providing a kind of “report card” of its performance in educating our children.
• 8.
  The Office of Federal Student Aid (OFSA) administers student loan and grant programs funded by the federal government.

Through legislation, policy, and targeted funding, the federal government has come to play a vital role in shaping American education. Of the $40.7 billion spent on schooling by the U.S. Department of Education in the year 2000, approximately $16.1 billion went directly to school districts, primarily through formula-based grant programs; $7.4 billion went to postsecondary institutions; $6.7 billion went to college students; $4.8 billion went to state education agencies, and approximately $5.7 billion was used to subsidize student loans (National Center for Education Statistics, 2001).

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