U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (ED)
Mission and Vision
The Department of Education's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. Created in 1980 by combining offices from several federal agencies, the department's 4,400 employees and $68 billion budget are dedicated to establishing policies on federal financial aid for education, and distributing as well as monitoring those funds; collecting data on America's schools and disseminating research; focusing national attention on key educational issues; and prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal access to education.
Grant Program Highlights
Institute of Education Sciences
The mission of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is to provide rigorous and relevant evidence on which to ground education practice and policy and share this information broadly. By identifying what works, what doesn't, and why, IES aims to improve educational outcomes for all students, particularly those at risk of failure. IES is the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education.
Academic Improvement and Teacher Quality Programs
Academic Improvement and Teacher Quality (AITQ) Programs administer several major formula and discretionary grant programs authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, and reauthorized by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. These programs provide financial assistance to state and local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, community and faith-based organizations, and other entities. Funding supports activities designed to recruit and retain a high-quality teaching staff for America's schools, to strengthen the quality of elementary and secondary education, including through after-school programs, to test and disseminate information on new approaches for improving educational results, to improve literacy skills for children and students from birth through 12th grade, and to raise the educational achievement of at-risk students, such as Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native children and youth.
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