États-Unis. Dept. of Education

A Department of Education, headed by a Commissioner, was established by an act of March 2, 1867. It was abolished as an independent agency on July 20, 1868, and reestablished as the Office of Education in the Department of Interior. The original statutory function of both the Department and the Office was to collect and desseminate information on education in the United States and abroad and to promote better education throughout the country. Later legislation and Executive orders have added functions, including responsibility for Federal financial assistance to education and special studies and programs. Among the programs is the vocational education program initiated under the Federa Board for Vocational Education in 1917 and transferred to the Office of Education on October 3, 1933. In 1931 the functions and records of the Alaska Division were transferred to the Office (now Bureau) of Indian Affairs. In 1939 the Office of Education was transferred to the Federal Security Agency, which became in 1953 the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

The Department of Education is the Cabinet-level department that establishes policy for, administers, and coordinates most Federal assistance to education. The Department of Education was created by the Department of Education Organization Act (93 Stat. 668; 20 U.S.C. 3401), approved October 17, 1979, with the first Secretary of Education sworn in on December 6, 1979.

Secretary. The Secretary of Education advises the President on education plans, policies, and programs of the Federal Government. The Secretary directs Department staff in carrying out the approved programs and activities of the Department and promotes general public understanding of the Department's goals, programs, and objectives. The Secretary also carries out certain Federal responsibilities for four federally aided corporations; the American Printing House for the Blind, Gallaudet College, Howard University, and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. The Under Secretaries, the Assistant Secretaries, the Inspector General, and the General Counsel aid the Secretary in the overall management of the Department.

Under Secretary. The Under Secretary serves as Acting Secretary in the absence of the Secretary and performs on the behalf of the Secretary such functions and duties as the Secretary may designate; coodinates Federal-State relations.

Intergovermental and Interagengy Affairs. The Deputy Under Secretaryfor Intergovernmental and Interagency Affairs is responsible for providing overall leadership in establishing and directing effective intergovernmental and interagency services for the Department, including communication with a wide variety of intergovernmental, interagency, and public advocacy groups and constituencies affected by Department policy, programs, and operations.

Inspector General. The Inspector General is responsible for conducting and supervising audits and investigations relating to programs, and the operations of the Department. The Office provides leadership, coordination, and policy recommendations to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness; and to prevent and detect fraud and abuse in the administration of the Department's programs and operations. The Office also provides a means for keeping the Secretary and Congress fully and currently informed about problems and deficiencies relating to the administration of suchprograms and operations, and the necessity of corrective action.

General Counsel. The General Counsel provides legal advice to the Secretary and to the components of the Department.

Bilingual Education. The Director of the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs ensures access to equal education opportunity and improves the quality of programs for limited English proficiency and minority languages populations by providing support for programs, activites, and management initiatives meeting the special educational needs of those populations. The Office also provides assistance for the development, adoption, and implementation of plans for the desegrgation of public schools.

Management. The Deputy Under Secrtary for Management provides adviceand guidance to the Secretary on administrative and financial management and provides for the direction and coordination of these activities throughout the Department on a day-to-day basis. The activites include financial management, personnel, training, grants and procurement evaluation, ADP, and other support functions.

Planning, Budget and Evaluation. The Deputy Under Secretary for Planning Budget and Evaluation coordinates Department activites in the prepartaion of the departmental budget, program analysis, and planning activites, and ensures that Department policy and program planning appropriately reflects the results of these activities designed to inform the general public and the Nation's educational community about Department programs and activites.

Legislative. The Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Public Affairs serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary on matters concerning the Department's legislative program and congressional relations.

Civil Rights. The Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the civil rights laws related to education and the handicapped. The Office is responsible for ensuring compliance in programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance and by employers holding Federal contracts.

Elementary and Secondary Education. The Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education formulates policy for, directs, and coordinates the activites relating to preschool, elementary, and secondary education in the Department. Included are programs of grants to State educational agencies and local school districts for Indian and migrant education, programs of financial and technical assistance to school districts to meet special needs incident to the elimination of racial segregation and discrimination, and grants for the education of neglected and delinquent students.

Educational Research and Improvement. The Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement administers functions of the Department concerning research, development, demonstration, dissemination, and assessment. The Office also adminsters a wide variety of descretionary grant programs to maximize individual program impact on school improvement.

Vocational and Adult Education. The Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education administers programs of grants, contracts, and technical assistance for vocational and technical education, education professions development, community schools, and comprehensive employment for providing a unified approach to rural and rural family education through the coordination of programs within the Department.

Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services is responsible for special education programs and services expressly designed to meet the needs and develop the full potential of handicapped children; and comprehensive rehabilitation service programs specifically designed to reduce human dependency, to increase self-reliance, and to fully utilize the productive capabilities of all handicapped persons. Programs include support of training for teachers and other professional personnel; grants for research; financial aid to help States initiate, expand, and improve their resources; and media services and captioned films for the deaf.

Postsecondary Education. The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education formulates policy and directs and coordinates programs for assiatance to postsecondary educational institutions and students pursuing a postsecondary education. Programs include assistance for the improvement and expansion of American educational resources for international studies and services, grants to improve instruction in crucial academic subjects, and construction assistance for academic facilities. Also included are programs of student financial assistance, including Basic Educational Opportunity Grants, Grants to States for State Student Incentives, Direct Loans to Students in Institutions of Higher Education, Insured Loans to Students in Health ProfessionsSchools, and the Guaranteed Student Loan Program.

Regional Offices. Each regional off serves as a center for the dessemination of information and provides technical assistance to State and local education al agencies and other institutions and individuals interested in Federal education activites. At present, offices are located in 10 cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle.

From the description of Agency History. (National Archives Library). WorldCat record id: 145406673