The US Department of Education oversees the schools that
school the nation. The agency establishes policy for the US
educational system with the goal that all students receive a
quality education and are prepared to compete in the global market.
It evaluates the performances of schools through student
assessments, holding them accountable for achievement
scores and it administers federal student financial aid
programs, the country's largest source of student loans. The
Department of Education was formed in 1980 and is led by the
secretary of education. It has an annual budget of about $68
The Obama Administration has requested a budget of $69.8 billion
for 2013, a 2.5% increase over 2012.
Federal education funds are distributed using three methods: a
set formula, competition, and financial need assessment. Some
programs follow a prescribed formula that allows qualified agencies
to receive funds determined by the number of students meeting
certain criteria in that state or school district. For instance,
the department allocates money under the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which ensures that more than 6.5
million children, ages 3 to 21, with disabilities receive an
appropriate public education.
Meanwhile, federal money is also doled out based on competitive
applications and financial need; the latter allows college
students, for example, to apply for grants, loans, and fellowships
depending on their family's income.
Among the department's student financial assistance programs are
the federal Pell Grant, which provides an annual maximum of $5,500
that does not have to be repaid to attend school full-time or
part-time. The Title I grant offers financial assistance to local
educational agencies and schools with high numbers of children from
Additional duties of the Department of Education include
collecting and analyzing data on US schools to inform educators,
policymakers, parents, researchers, and the general public, as well
as enforcing civil rights statutes to ensure fair and equal
educational opportunity for students, regardless of race, color,
national origin, sex, disability, or age.
Contrary to some misconceptions, the department does not
establish schools, develop curricula, set requirements for
enrollment and graduation, determine state education standards, or
develop testing that measures whether states are meeting their