One of the DOE's key responsibilities is shaping national education policy. This doesn’t mean telling states what to teach, but rather creating overarching policies, such as ensuring equal access to education and fostering diversity and inclusion. For example, the DOE establishes regulations for how federal financial aid is distributed, ensuring the money goes to eligible schools and students.
It also creates frameworks for accountability and performance in education, often setting benchmarks at the federal level while giving states the flexibility to decide how to meet them. Ultimately, federal policies serve as a foundation to align the nation’s education goals. This approach recognizes that education standards can differ across the country while addressing universal issues like equity, teacher development, and the digital divide.
The DOE does not operate public elementary or secondary schools. These schools are under the jurisdiction of state and local governments. Local school boards and district superintendents are responsible for the day-to-day operations, staffing, and management of schools.
The DOE's role is to provide funding and policy guidance, not direct control. The federal government’s role is more about providing support rather than actively managing schools. They provide guidelines, funding, and oversight, but it does not manage schools directly. Instead, it works with state and local governments to support their efforts in delivering education.
Another major responsibility of the DOE is overseeing and distributing federal funds. These funds help schools, colleges, and state governments support key programs. For example, Title I grants provide financial assistance to schools serving large populations of low-income students, while Pell Grants offer college aid for economically disadvantaged individuals.
These funds are distributed with specific requirements attached, such as improving educational outcomes or increasing access to technology. However, states and local districts have discretion in deciding how to apply these resources, so long as they meet federal guidelines.
The DOE does not decide what students should learn. Curriculum standards, such as which history events to teach or which books to read, are determined at the state or local level. This framework allows communities to design educational content that reflects their values and needs while staying within federal guidelines.
The curriculum is determined at the state and local level, with decisions made by school boards, educators, and state education departments. These groups determine what subjects are taught, the textbooks used, and the standards that students are expected to meet. The DOE’s role is to provide funding and support programs, but it does not control curriculum decisions.
The DOE ensures that every student, regardless of race, gender, disability, or economic background, has equal access to an education. Through its Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the DOE enforces laws like Title IX (prohibiting gender-based discrimination) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which mandates proper accommodations for students with disabilities.
This enforcement can mean investigating claims of discrimination, ensuring appropriate accommodations, or working with schools to improve accessibility. By holding schools accountable, the DOE fosters safer, more inclusive environments for all students.
The Department of Education does not hire teachers or manage school staff. Staffing decisions are made by individual school districts, which are responsible for recruiting, hiring, and managing teachers. The DOE may set standards for teacher qualifications, but it does not directly employ teachers.
Local school systems have the autonomy to decide how to best staff their schools, and they are responsible for maintaining a qualified and effective teaching workforce. Instead, the department focuses on promoting teacher training programs and addressing national shortages to ensure there are enough skilled educators.
The DOE keeps a finger on the pulse of America’s education system by collecting data through programs like the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Statistics on everything from graduation rates to school resources are gathered to analyze trends and identify challenges in the education landscape.
This data informs key policies and shares critical insights with educators, policymakers, and the public. For example, data showing inequities in internet access during the pandemic influenced federal broadband funding initiatives for underserved communities.
The Department of Education does not intervene in the day-to-day operations of individual schools. Local school systems have the authority to make decisions about everything from school hours to student discipline policies. Matters such as discipline policies, schedules, or extracurricular activities are handled by states and school boards.
The DOE’s role is to provide guidance, funding, and policy support, but it does not micromanage local schools. This decentralized approach ensures that education decisions reflect the unique needs and priorities of individual communities, allowing local governments to have greater control over their educational systems.
Supporting research to improve teaching methods is another key responsibility of the DOE. Through grants and partnerships, the department funds studies on improving classroom management, integrating technology into lesson plans, and developing strategies for teaching students with learning disabilities.
Programs like the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) play a central role in producing actionable research that educators can apply directly in schools. The insights gained from this research contribute to the continuous improvement of the education system.
The DOE provides federal funding to schools, but it does not control how those funds are spent. States and local school districts are responsible for determining their budgets and allocating funds to various educational programs. States make localized decisions about how to allocate money for infrastructure, teacher salaries, or extracurricular programs.
The DOE’s role is to ensure that federal funds are distributed equitably and in accordance with federal guidelines, but the allocation of those funds is ultimately up to local authorities.
The DOE is the primary administrator of federal financial aid programs for higher education, such as Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, and work-study programs. These programs make college accessible for millions of students who might otherwise be unable to afford tuition.
By managing these federal aid initiatives, the DOE ensures that higher education is not just a privilege for the wealthy but an attainable goal for all Americans.
Picking graduation standards, like how many math classes a student needs to take or the minimum passing grades, is a state-level responsibility. These requirements often include completing a certain number of credits in subjects like English, math, science, and social studies, as well as passing specific assessments.
The DOE has no role in setting these specific benchmarks. States and districts have the flexibility to adjust graduation standards based on the needs and priorities of their communities.
The Department of Education provides resources and programs to support low-income students, as well as students with special needs. Programs such as Title I funding and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensure that these students have access to the educational opportunities they need to succeed.
The DOE works to ensure that students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds or face challenges related to disability are not left behind. This might include providing additional funding for schools serving low-income students, supporting special education programs, and ensuring that students have access to the services and accommodations they need to thrive academically.
While the Department of Education has some authority over private schools that receive federal funding, it does not regulate all private schools. Private schools are primarily regulated by state governments, which set their own rules regarding curriculum, staffing, and operations.
The DOE may provide financial assistance to private schools that serve certain groups of students, but it does not have the same level of oversight over private institutions as it does over public schools.
The Department of Education encourages innovation in the education sector by funding initiatives designed to improve education quality and access. This includes supporting new technologies, alternative teaching methods, and experimental programs that aim to increase student engagement and learning outcomes.
By funding innovative educational practices, the DOE helps schools experiment with new ideas that could lead to better educational outcomes. Whether it's a new approach to classroom instruction or a technology-based learning tool, the DOE’s support helps push the boundaries of what’s possible in education.
The DOE encourages student assessments to measure academic progress, but it does not mandate specific testing standards. States are responsible for determining how they assess student performance, including the types of tests they use and the frequency of assessments.
While the DOE sets certain guidelines for accountability, it is up to states and districts to decide which tests are required and how they will be administered.
