department+of+education

Secretary: Arne Duncan “To promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensure equal access.”
 * __ Department of Education __**
 * Mission Statement**:

1.  Establish policies on federal financial aid for education and distributing as well as monitoring those funds. 2.  Collecting data on America’s schools and conducting research. 3.  Focusing national attention on key educational issues. 4.  Prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal access to education.
 * Responsibilities**:

$68.6 Billion per year.
 * Budget:**

Constituents: Students and parents throughout the U.S. Services: No Child Left Behind, Career Ladder Program, Loan Programs
 * Constituents & Services: **


 * Articles:**

__Reading and Math: students show improvement on national tests.__ Based on statistics from the 2008 Nation Assessment of Educational Progress, every group of students tested (elementary, middle, high) made an improvement in reading and math scores. The elementary students made the most progress with an average scoring of 24 points higher on the reading/math assessment. These increases are all thanks to President Bush’s signing of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2004. Since the signing, these test scores prove that students and teachers are working harder, which is a step in the right direction and provides a positive outlook on the future. [|www.mcall.com] by: Libby Quiad 4/28/09

__No Child Left Behind: Doomed to Fail?__ Educators believe that the law, No Child Left Behind, has a goal that has never been, or never will be reached. The goal is for all public school students in grades 4 through 8 to be enrolled in on-grade level courses in reading and math. Early critics say that No Child Left Behind is a plan to diminish faith in public schools throughout America. But now, many believe it will eventually increase grades in students. They are hoping to make the goal more flexible and achievable so that more students can accomplish it. Also, if a school doesn’t meet the NCLB’s goal, it is technically being labeled as a failure school, and the Department of Education does not want that. [|www.time.com] by: Claudia Wallis 6/8/08 __No Child Left Behind.__ By the 2005-2006 school year, states must begin testing students in grades 3 through 8 every year in math and reading. Schools must bring all students up to the proficient level on assessments by the 2013-2014 school year. Starting with the 2003-2004 school year, schools must send out yearly report cards including student-achievement data. Every teacher teaching core classes in public schools must have a certified and proficient in his/her subject. The No Child Left Behind law is a huge controversy in the education community especially because many people see the goal it has set as unfeasible and unfair. www.edweek.org Author Unknown 9/21/04

__Suggestion to Obama:__ We suggest that easing up on the standards for No Child Left Behind would better the results of the program.

__Obama Law Ties Public Service to College Aid__ President Obama signed a $5.7 billion national service bill that will make college students able to earn tuition money by helping others. This will create opportunities for students to help everyone from other students to the elderly, as we rebuild the nation over the next eight years. This service law expands ways to earn money for college through volunteer work. Volunteering can be anything from tutoring children, cleaning up parks, and weathering homes for the poor. [|www.cnn.com] by: Ann Sanner 4/22/09

__Some Students Struggle to Afford College Tuition__ Lately, more and more students have to withdraw from colleges because they can’t afford the cost of tuition. Even after talking to the financial aid officers at these schools, they cannot possibly offer any more aid to these students who are struggling in these economic times. The government is giving colleges a small increase in money for the institutions, but it’s not enough to support the students. Due to this, this is going to lower the amount of college graduates, college population numbers, and will cause some major problems in the world of higher education. [|www.tuftsdaily.com] by: Sarah Burtymowicz 4/22/09

__Obama and Biden: Making College Affordable for Everyone__ The goal of the Obama administration is to make college affordable for all Americans by creating a new American Opportunity Tax Credit. This will ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans and will cover 2/3 the cost of tuition at the average public college or university. This will help low income families and the person receiving this aid will have to perform 100 hours of public service a year. They are also planning on abolishing the FAFSA aid application altogether, and federal financial aid will be available by checking a box on your income tax form. [|www.barackobama.com] by: Barack Obama 11/7/07 __Suggestion to Obama:__ We suggest that more federal financial aid is provided for people who want to go to college but have a harder time affording it.