Department of Education

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Request

CONTENTS

Page

Appropriation Language..........................................................................................................Z-1

Analysis of Language Provisions and Changes....................................................................... Z-2

Amounts Available for Obligation ............................................................................................Z-3

Obligations by Object Classification ........................................................................................Z-4

Summary of Changes .............................................................................................................Z-5

Authorizing Legislation............................................................................................................Z-8

Appropriations History.............................................................................................................Z-9

Significant Items in FY 2014 Appropriations Report .............................................................. Z-10

Summary of Request ............................................................................................................ Z-11

Activities:

Salaries and Expenses...................................................................................................... Z-12

Building Modernization ...................................................................................................... Z-32

Supplementary Tables:

Full-time Equivalent Employment by Office ....................................................................... Z-34

Summary of Budget Authority by Office............................................................................. Z-35
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Z-1

Appropriation Language

For carrying out, to the extent not otherwise provided, the Department of Education 

Organization Act, including rental of conference rooms in the District of Columbia and hire of

three passenger motor vehicles, [$422,917,000] $442,000,000, of which up to [$1,000,000] 

$1,513,000, to remain available until expended, shall be for relocation of, and renovation of 

buildings occupied by Department staff.

1 (Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2014.)

NOTE

Each language provision that is followed by a footnote reference is explained in the Analysis of Language 

Provisions and Changes document, which follows the appropriation language.
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Z-2

Analysis of Language Provisions and Changes

Language Provision Explanation

1

...of which up to, $1,513,000, to remain 

available until expended, shall be for 

relocation of, and renovation of buildings 

occupied by Department staff.

This language provides for the availability of 

funds to remain available until expended for 

relocation of and renovations of buildings 

occupied by Department staff.
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Z-3

Amounts Available for Obligation

(dollars in thousands)

Appropriation and Adjustments 2013 2014 2015

Discretionary budget authority:

Discretionar y budget authority:Appropriation............................................................ $446,259 $422,917 $442,000

Discretionar y budget authority:Across-the-board rescission (P.L. 113-6).................. -893 0 0

Subtotal, appropriation ......................................... 445,366 422,917 442,000

Discretionar y budget authority:Sequester (P.L. 112-25) ........................................... -22,449 0 0

Discretionar y budget authorityTransfer from Student Aid Administration.................. 7,688

Discretionar y budget authority

Subtotal, adjusted discretionary appropriation...... 430,605 422,917 442,000

Unobligated balance, start of year................................ 9,963 13,309 0

Recovery of prior-year obligations ............................... 4,447 0 0

Unobligated balance expiring ...................................... -264 0 0

Unobligated balance, end of year................................ -13,309 0 0

Total, direct obligations............................................. 431,442 436,226 442,000
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Z-4

Obligati ons by Obj ect Classi fication

Obligations by Object Classification

(dollars in thousands)

Change from

Object Class 2013 2014 2015 2014 to 2015

11.10 Full-time permanent $188,365 $201,405 $203,386 $1,981

11.31 Full-time temporary 20,452 11,586 12,375 789

11.32 Part-time 3,695 559 562 3

11.33 Consultants 476 200 202 2

11.51 Overtime 280 343 343 0

11.52 Awards 2,143 2,200 2,200 0

11.80 Other Compensation 77 0 0 0

 Compensation subtotal 215,488 216,293 219,068 2,775

12.00 Benefits 61,451 63,034 66,315 3,281

13.10 Benefits for former personnel 180 180 180 0

21.00 Travel 3,137 3,615 3,720 105

22.00 Transportation of things 70 1 1 0

23.10 Rental Payments to GSA 41,475 42,100 41,475 (625)

23.31 Communications 1,130 217 205 (12)

23.32 Postage/fees 308 805 805 0

 Subtotal 23 42,913 43,122 42,485 (637)

24.00 Printing & Reproduction 895 1,162 1,017 (145)

25.10 Advisory and Assistance Svcs 2,528 1,285 1,435 150

25.21 Other Services 14,573 15,507 17,869 2,362

25.22 Training/Tuition/Contracts 2,045 2,227 2,220 (7)

25.23 Field Readers 0 10 10 0

25.30 Goods/Services from Gov't 15,665 23,603 22,443 (1,160)

25.71 Operations/Maint of Equipment 631 1,286 1,212 (74)

25.72 IT Services/Contracts 67,958 51,326 61,231 9,905

 Subtotal 25 103,400 95,244 106,420 11,176

26.00 Supplies 648 635 400 (235)

31.01 IT Equipment/Software 855 259 309 50

31.03 Other Equipment 860 6,668 200 (6,468)

 Subtotal 31 1,715 6,927 509 (6,418)

32.00 Building Alterations 1,545 6,013 1,885 (4,128)

Total, Obligations 431,442 436,226 442,000 5,774

Total Pers. Comp. & Ben. 277,119 279,507 285,563 6,056

Total Non-Personnel 154,323 156,719 156,437 (282)
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Z-5

Summary of Changes

(dollars in thousands)

2014................................................................................................. $422,917

2015................................................................................................. 442,000

Net change ............................................................... +19,083

Increases: 2014 base Change from base

Built in:

BuiltIncrease in salaries primarily for a proposed 

1 percent Governmentwide pay raise. $213,750 +$1,602

BuiltIncrease in benefits for the Department’s share of 

health, retirement, and other benefits, as well as 

increased FERS contribution rates starting 

October 2014. 63,214 +2,929

Program:

ProgramIncrease in salaries and benefits for 11 additional 

FTE. 276,964 +1,525

ProgramIncrease in travel primarily for enhanced monitoring 

of State grants. 3,615 +105

ProgramIncrease in advisory and assistance services 

mostly for Web-based training services for legal 

and paralegal training. 1,285 +150

ProgramIncrease in other services for State Desk contract 

support to improve grant administration assistance 

to State education agencies. 0 +313

ProgramIncrease in other services to establish an office of

Science, Technology, Engineering, and 

Mathematics (STEM). 210 +2,040

ProgramIncrease in other services. 742 +9

ProgramIncrease in goods and services from the 

Government for IT security, Federal Personnel and 

Payroll system, and E-Gov: E-Rulemaking. 22,106 +337
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Z-6

Summary of Changes

(dollars in thousands)

Increases: 2014 base Change from base

Program:

ProgramIncrease in contracted IT services for space 

modifications of Department buildings. $0 +$150

ProgramIncrease in contracted IT services for EDCAPS, the 

Department’s core financial system, primarily for 

continued operations of EDCAPS and necessary 

upgrades to FMSS (Oracle Version 12). 3,905 +6,707

ProgramIncrease in contracted IT services to improve data 

quality and functionality of EDFacts, on student 

achievement. 10,750 +902

ProgramIncrease in contracted IT services for continued 

operations of EDUCATE that provides all internal IT 

services, and ED Web.

24,790 +1,490

ProgramIncrease in contracted IT services for Enterprise 

Risk Management Services and Tools to reduce 

risk of improper payments. 530 +770

ProgramIncrease in IT equipment and software. 259 +50

ProgramIncrease in building alterations primarily for the 

building modernization alterations of Department 

occupied buildings. 754 +1,131

Subtotal, increases +20,210
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Z-7

Summary of Changes

(dollars in thousands)

Decreases: 2014 base Change from base

Program:

ProgramDecrease in rent. $42,100 -$625

ProgramDecrease in communications. 217 -12

ProgramDecrease in printing. 1,162 -145

ProgramDecrease in training. 2,227 -7

ProgramDecrease in operations and maintenance. 1,286 -74

ProgramDecrease in supplies. 635 -235

ProgramDecrease in other equipment. 229 -29

Subtotal, decreases -1,127

Net Change +19,083
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Authorizing Legislation

(dollars in thousands)

Activity

2014

Authorized

2014

Estimate

2015

Authorized

2015

Request

Salaries and expenses (DEOA) Indefinite $422,917 Indefinite $440,487

Building Modernization (DEOA) Indefinite 0 Indefinite 1,513

Total definite authorization 0 0

Total appropriation 422,917 442,000

Z-8
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Z-9

Appropriations History

(dollars in thousands)

Year

Budget 

Estimate 

to Congress

House 

Allowance Footnote

Senate 

Allowance Foot

-

note AppropriationFoot

-

note

2006 $418,992 $410,612 $411,992 $411,150

2007 425,966 N/A1 N/A1 418,5871

2008 446,934 219,487 432,631 411,274

2009 444,439 422,1852 427,9392 433,482

2010 456,500 452,200 452,2003 456,200

2011 492,488 465,0004 492,4883 455,2885

2012 479,038 449,8156 449,0746 446,259

2013 448,470 446,2597 448,4707 430,605

2014 430,605 N/A8 422,9173 422,917

2015 442,000

1 This account operated under a full-year continuing resolution (P.L. 110-5). House and Senate allowances are 

shown as N/A (Not Available) because neither body passed a separate appropriations bill. 2 The levels for the House and Senate allowances reflect action on the regular annual 2009 appropriations bill, 

which proceeded in the 110th Congress only through the House Subcommittee and the Senate Committee. 3 The level for the Senate allowance reflects Committee action only. 

4 The level for the House allowance reflects the House-passed full-year continuing resolution. 5 The level for appropriation reflects the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011

(P.L. 112-10). 6 The level for the House allowance reflects an introduced bill and the level for the Senate allowance reflects

Senate Committee action only. 7 The levels for the House and Senate allowances reflect action on the regular annual 2013 appropriations bill, 

which proceeded in the 112th Congress only through the House Subcommittee and the Senate Committee. 8 The House allowance is shown as N/A because there was no subcommittee action.
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Z-10

Significant Items in FY 2014 Appropriations Report

Geography Education

Senate: The Committee is concerned with deficiencies in geography education at the 

elementary and secondary education levels and geographic education research 

in the United States. The Committee recognizes that a sound understanding of 

geography is critical to ensuring that the American workforce is qualified for jobs 

in geospatial technologies and other emerging industries. The Committee directs 

GAO to conduct a study on the status of geographic education and the ability of 

U.S. graduates to fill and retain skilled jobs, particularly in geospatial 

technologies. Additionally, recognizing fiscal constraints on States and LEAs, the 

Committee requests GAO to report on the challenges elementary and secondary 

schools face in providing geographic education within limited resources.

Response: The Department recognizes that GAO is directed to conduct this study and will 

comply in providing related information upon request.

Increasing Federal Employment of Individuals with Disabilities

Senate: The Committee is very supportive of Executive Order 13548 and

the Department’s goal to raise the representation of individuals with disabilities in 

its workforce from 6.25 percent in fiscal year 2010 to 9 percent in fiscal year 

2015. However, fiscal year 2012 results demonstrate a lack of progress, with 

representation falling below the fiscal year 2011 level. The Committee 

encourages the Department to accelerate its efforts toward achieving the goals of 

this important executive order.

Response: The Department of Education (ED) is committed to improving the representation

of persons with disabilities in the workforce. ED’s Individuals with Disabilities 

(IWD) Plan for Fiscal Years 2011-2015 set an aggressive target of increasing its

representation of IWD by 0.5 percentage points per year, or an increase from 

6.25 percent to 9 percent by 2015. Since 2011, ED has moved from 

6.25 percent to 7.22 percent of the total workforce as IWD, nearly a full 

percentage point increase in 2 years (2011-2013) and just slightly below its target 

for 2013 of 7.25 percent.

ED is committed to improving our employment of IWD. In 2014, ED’s Disability

Program is being organizationally moved to the Office of Human Capital and 

Client Services to focus more attention on recruiting, hiring, and retaining IWD 

and improving manager awareness for the importance of workforce planning and 

the benefits of a diverse workforce and for reaching underrepresented groups.
Z-11

Summary of Request

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FISCAL YEAR 2015 PRESIDENT'S BUDGET 

Click here for accessible version 

(in thousands of dollars) 2015

Category 2013 2014 President's

Account, Program and Activity Code Appropriation Appropriation Budget Amount Percent

Program Administration (DEOA)

1. Salaries and expenses D 430,605 422,917 440,487 17,570 4.154%

2. Building modernization 1 D 0 0 1,513 1,513 ---

Total 2 D 430,605 422,917 442,000 19,083 4.512%

NOTES: D = discretionary program; M = mandatory program; FY= fiscal year

For mandatory programs, the levels shown in the 2014 Appropriation column reflects the 7.2 percent sequester that went into effect October 1, 2013, pursuant to the Budget Control Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-25); 

the 2015 President's Budget column does not reflect a sequester in 2015. 

Detail may not add to totals due to rounding. 

1 The Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2014, provided that up to $1,000 thousand may be transferred from Salaries and Expenses to Building Modernization. This amount, available until expended, shall be 

for relocation of, and renovation of buildings occupied by, Department staff.

2 Reflects transfers in 2013 of $7,688 thousand, $1,100 thousand, and $1,100 thousand from Student Aid Administration (totaling $9,888 thousand) to Program Administration, Office for Civil Rights, 

and Office of Inspector General, respectively.

Compared to 2014 Appropriation

2015 President's Budget 

Z-11
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Z-12

Salaries and Expenses

(DEOA)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2015 Authorization: Indefinite

Budget authority:

Annual Fund

2014 2015

Change 

from 2014

Personnel costs $279,507 $285,563 +$6,056

Non-personnel costs 143,410 154,924 +11,514

Total 422,917 440,487 +17,570

FTE 1,934 1,945 +11

____________________________________________________________________________

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Program Administration account provides a significant portion of the funding and staff to 

administer the Department's programs and activities in the following program and staff offices:

Program offices:

Office of Postsecondary Education

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic 

Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education

Institute of Education Sciences

Office of Innovation and Improvement

Staff offices:

Office of the Secretary

Office of the Deputy Secretary

Office of the Under Secretary

Office of the General Counsel

Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development

Office of Communications and Outreach

Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs

Office of Management

Office of the Chief Financial Officer

Office of the Chief Information Officer

Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Z-13

Program offices are the front-line administrators of the Department’s programs, providing 

leadership and financial support for education programs assisting preschoolers; elementary,

secondary, and college students; and adults. Program offices are critical to managing the 

Department’s multi-billion dollar program budget through activities such as grantmaking and 

review, grantee technical assistance, grant monitoring, and contract management. In 

addition, the offices support research and demonstration projects to improve education and 

disseminate information on research findings and education statistics.

Staff offices provide the policy, legal, management, and financial support needed to help the 

Department fulfill its mission. These offices are vital to the day-to-day operation of the 

Department and provide policy leadership and administration of key Departmental priorities.

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were:

Fiscal Year (dollars in thousands)

2010............................................................................ $448,000

2011.............................................................................. 447,104

2012.............................................................................. 446,259

2013.............................................................................. 430,605

2014.............................................................................. 422,917

_____________________

FY 2015 BUDGET REQUEST

The fiscal year 2015 request for Salaries and Expenses is $440.5 million, $17.6 million, or 

4 percent, above the 2014 level. The additional funds requested for 2015 are targeted for a 

few key areas, accounting for $16.4 million of the overall requested increase: 

1. Built-in pay raise and benefits increases — $4.5 million is requested for the proposed 

1 percent January 2015 pay raise, as well as increased FERS contribution rates starting 

October 2014, and other associated benefits increases.

2. A total of 11 additional FTE to work on Departmental priorities — $1.5 million. An 

increase of 2 FTE for the Institute of Education Sciences and 1 FTE for Policy and 

Program Studies Services in the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development 

is requested in order to enhance the Department’s evaluation, research, and data 

analytic capabilities. An increase of 4 FTE is requested for the Office of Elementary and 

Secondary Education (OESE) to address workload needs, especially as OESE 

transitions to a case management approach to grant administration. An increase of 

1 FTE is requested for the Office of Safe and Healthy Students in OESE. Three FTE are 

requested for the Office of Innovation and Improvement for a new office of Science, 

Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education. Individual office FTE 

increases are discussed in more detail later in this document. 
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Salaries and Expenses

Z-14

3. Information Technology (IT) (excluding EDCAPS) — The Department of Education uses 

a mature IT investment management process, managed by the Investment Review 

Board (IRB) and Planning and Investment Review Working Group (PIRWG), to manage 

its IT portfolio. The process includes an annual select phase to determine the

Department’s IT portfolio, including funding request amounts for both the current and 

budget years. Due to anticipated budget constraints in 2014, the Department plans to 

delay many of its development, modernization, and enhancement activities. However, 

these activities are vital in order to ensure needed functionality and achieve long-term 

efficiencies and savings. An increase of $1.7 million is requested for IT spending in 

2015, largely for the redesign and modernization of EDFacts to simplify and improve the 

quality of K-12 performance data submitted by States, and enhancements to risk 

management tools designed to reduce the risk of improper payments. More information 

on these increases, as well as requested increases for other IT investments, is provided 

later in this document.

4. Information Technology EDCAPS — Necessary upgrades to the Financial Management 

Support System (FMSS) to complete the implementation of the Oracle Version 12 

release and for continued operations of the Education Central Automated Processing 

System (EDCAPS), the Department’s core financial system – $6.7 million. As in prior 

years, the Department strategically funded ongoing EDCAPS contracts in 2013 to 

reduce its financial obligation in 2014. However, these actions will necessitate restored 

operations funding in 2015. The increase for EDCAPS is critical to ensure continued

functioning of the Department’s key financial systems, including those providing the 

disbursement of grants and loans.

5. STEM — $2.0 million. This budget would support and allow a new Office of STEM 

Education to engage in outreach and technical assistance activities to States and 

districts to support the STEM Innovation initiatives and help promote the broad adoption 

of evidence-based practices via the STEM Virtual Learning Network and other 

communities of practice. The Administration is proposing a comprehensive 

reorganization of STEM education programs to support a cohesive national STEM 

strategy and improve the delivery, impact, and visibility of STEM efforts. The Office of 

STEM Education will play a critical role in improving K-12 STEM instruction as part of the 

Administration’s consolidation and realignment of Federal STEM programs.

The chart below provides detail on the Program Administration request by type of cost, while 

the following chart shows the $17.6 million cost increases by category.
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Salaries and Expenses

Z-15

STAFFING AND COSTS SUMMARY

The 2015 request includes funding for 1,945 full-time equivalent (FTE), an increase of 

11 FTE from the 2014 level.

Personnel and Non-Personnel Costs Summary

The budget request includes $285.6 million for personnel compensation and benefits. The 

increase of $6.1 million from the 2014 level covers 11 additional FTE and a proposed 

Contracts

19%

Other NonPersonnel 

6%

Overhead (Rent & 

Mail)

10%

Personnel

65%

FY 2015 Salaries & Expenses Costs by Category

 Personnel and fixed overhead costs comprise about 3/4 of the Program Administration Budget.

Built-In Pay

25%

EDCAPS

38%

Additional FTE

9%

Other Fixed Costs

4%

STEM

11%

Other

13%

FY 2015 Cost Increase by Category

Increases in built-in pay, EDCAPS, and FTE account for almost 3/4 of the requested Program Administration increase. 
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Salaries and Expenses

Z-16

1 percent January 2015 pay raise, as well as increased FERS contribution rates starting 

October 2014, and other associated benefit increases. The total request for non-personnel 

activities in 2015 is $154.9 million, an increase of $11.5 million from the 2014 level. Nonpersonnel costs cover such items as travel, rent, mail, telephones, utilities, printing, 

information technology (IT), contractual services, equipment, supplies, and other 

departmental services.

SIGNIFICANT BUDGET ITEMS

Significant changes from 2014 to 2015 and key projects are highlighted in the following 

sections, grouped by office.

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

FTE 

A total increase of 5 FTE is requested in FY 2015. The additional positions are needed to 

support critical shortages and weaknesses in OESE’s workforce.

• Four FTE are needed for the Student Achievement and School Accountability (SASA) 

office and the Office of School Turnaround as OESE transitions to a case management 

approach (i.e., State desk) to grant administration under Elementary and Secondary 

Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility. Although the entire Department has had to “do more 

with less” in recent years, these offices especially need additional staff to handle existing 

and anticipated workload. Monitoring of States granted ESEA waivers is expected to 

increase significantly.

• One FTE is requested in the Office of Safe and Healthy Students to work on emergency 

readiness and management and on bullying.

State Desk approach

In FY 2015, OESE will continue to deploy a new State desk approach to grant administration 

to provide more transparent, higher quality, and better differentiated support to State 

education agencies (SEAs). Staff who are assigned to particular States will need to travel to 

these States to understand their progress in implementing key grant programs, develop 

relationships with personnel, conduct performance reviews, and provide technical 

assistance services that cannot be conducted virtually. In addition, OESE anticipates that 

the new State desk approach will require infrastructure investments to develop new Statecentered services, products, processes, and resources that are able to provide the desired 

high-quality differentiated support to SEAs. The funding will support both staff travel and a 

contractor who will provide strategic guidance and facilitation to assist ED personnel in 

rethinking, redesigning, and rebuilding ED’s relationship with SEAs. The amount requested 

is $313,000.
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Salaries and Expenses

Z-17

Standards and assessments initiative

The primary objectives of this project include: 1) obtaining logistical and administrative 

support for peer reviews related to implementing ESEA Title I, Part A, Section 1111(b) 

(Academic Standards, Academic Assessments, and Accountability), including reviews of 

standards and assessment systems, enhanced assessment grants, and Title I accountability 

plans required under ESEA Title I and ESEA waivers; and 2) providing support for the Office 

of Student Achievement and School Accountability and the Office of School Turnaround in 

implementing ESEA Title I, including assistance in onsite performance reviews and technical 

assistance. In 2015, $959,000 is requested for this project, no change from the 2014 level.

Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development

In FY 2014, the Performance Information Management Service (PIMS) office (14 FTE) in 

OPEPD is being transferred to the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). PIMS staff as well 

as its non-pay funding, including the EDFacts contract, are now reflected in the request for 

IES.

FTE 

A total increase of one FTE is requested in FY 2015 in the Policy and Program Studies 

Services office to provide data analytical support for higher education policy development, 

including the college ratings system and Departmental regulatory efforts.

Budget formulation and execution line of business

The Department will continue to serve as the Managing Partner for the e-Government 

Budget Formulation and Execution Line of Business (BFELoB) initiative, designed to 

improve the efficiency of the budgeting process at Federal Agencies. Areas of focus include 

Agency collaboration, data collection and tracking, analytics, automated data interface with 

MAX A-11, document production, budgeting tools, and career development and online 

training tools. The Department’s contribution for this initiative is $105,000 in 2015, the same 

as 2014. Over two dozen agencies contribute similar amounts for a total of $2.5 million in 

2015.

Budget formulation database

This system collects information used for the formulation, analysis, and allocation of all 

Department salaries and expenses funds. In 2015, $217,000 is requested for this system, 

no change from the 2014 level.

Office of the Deputy Secretary

Support to States

States are committed to improving student outcomes through historic and transformational 

educational reforms. In FY 2011, the Department formed the Implementation and Support 

Unit (ISU) in the Office of the Deputy Secretary with the goal of providing better assistance 
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Salaries and Expenses

Z-18

to States as they build their capacity to implement and sustain education reforms and 

achieve dramatic improvements in student outcomes. The ISU identifies, shares, and 

coordinates effective practices and processes across the Department. For 2015, 31 FTE 

and $230,000 in non-pay funding are requested for this effort, a decrease of $1,000 from the

2014 level.

The ISU has several core functions:

1. Managing the implementation of the Race to the Top (RTT) State program and the 

Race to the Top Assessment (RTT Assessment) programs.

2. Providing high-quality technical assistance (TA) to Race to the Top States in 

advancing reforms in ways that help State educational agencies work effectively with 

their districts, schools, and teachers to ensure that all students receive a high-quality 

education.

3. Coordinating support of State and local efforts to maximize the extent to which 

policies, programs, technical assistance, and resources are aligned across 

Department programs to support key reforms. 

Planned activities include: 1) continuing the program review process for Race to the Top 

State grantees; 2) expanding technical assistance support to State-level grantees and nongrantees; and 3) continuing the Program Review process for RTT Assessment grantees, 

including providing targeted technical assistance.

Most of the non-pay request is needed to expand technical assistance and programmatic 

support to a growing number of grantees. Funds will also support travel for monitoring and 

onsite program reviews and for technical assistance meetings and activities, collecting and 

public reporting of grantee performance data, preparing RTT–State grantee reports, training, 

and supplies. In addition, non-pay funding will be used for other advisory and assistance 

services, including supporting ongoing expert and public input on the RTT Assessment 

program.

Enterprise Risk Management services and tools

A total of $1.3 million is requested in 2015 to provide for continued implementation of the 

Department’s enterprise-wide, evidence-driven statistical analytics business application 

whose purpose is to support decisionmaking at all levels and phases of ED grant-making 

activities. The investment of these resources will increase the efficient management and 

effective outcomes of ED’s billions of dollars in appropriations.

To date, the team managing ED’s analytic business application, a suite of sophisticated 

Statistical Analytic Software (SAS), has produced thousands of entity-level risk review 

reports prior to the award of new and continuing grant awards. These reports draw data 

from ED’s grants IT program of record, G5, as well as from Dun and Bradstreet (D&B), and 

the Federal Audit Clearinghouse (FAC), which are weighted and scored against risk 

categories. The reports are then distributed to grant officials as a compiled source of the 
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Salaries and Expenses

Z-19

data required by OMB’s Uniform Administrative Guidance, Cost Principles, and Audit 

Requirements for Federal Awards for their consideration of awardee risks. The team is 

preparing for integration of new data sources such as the Federal Awardee Performance 

and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) and Treasury’s Do-Not-Pay Portal upon OMB 

validation of source readiness.

To increase performance accountability, ED is deploying its SAS suite to develop new 

business analytic lines of reporting that support ED offices in their grant-making, monitoring, 

and technical assistance to grantees, as identified in the Department’s Enterprise 

Architecture modernization plans. Enhancing the timeliness, relevance, and integration of 

grantee and grant data will position the Department to assess and improve productivity.

Targeted integration of business object data and EDEN/EDFacts school performance data 

will provide ED’s decisionmakers with a baseline accounting of performance data.

Performance Management Line of Business

Funds are requested to support the development of a Performance Management Line of 

Business (PMLOB) in 2015. The 2015 request of $53,000 will facilitate a transition from 

print-based GPRA performance plans and reports to a shared, Web-based,

Governmentwide performance portal, as required by the GPRA Modernization Act (Sec. 7 

and Sec. 10). This is no change from the 2014 level.

Office of the Secretary

White House special events 

A total of $291,000 is requested for administrative support of White House conferences and 

special events in 2015. The request is no change from the 2014 level.

Office of Communication and Outreach

Blue Ribbon Schools

The Blue Ribbon Schools program honors elementary and secondary schools that make 

significant progress in closing the achievement gap or whose students achieve at very 

high levels. In 2015, $1.227 million is requested to continue this program, no change from 

the 2014 level. 

Green Ribbon Schools

The Green Ribbon Schools program recognizes schools that save energy, reduce costs, 

feature environmentally sustainable learning spaces, protect health, foster wellness, and 

offer environmental education to boost academic achievement and community engagement. 

The recognition award is part of a larger Department effort to identify and disseminate 

knowledge about practices proven to result in improved student engagement, academic 

achievement, graduation rates, and workforce preparedness, as well as a Governmentwide 

aim to increase energy independence and economic security. In 2015, $85,000 is 

requested, no change from the 2014 level.
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Salaries and Expenses

Z-20

GovDelivery

GovDelivery is a digital subscription management system designed to enhance customer 

satisfaction with several of the Department’s Web sites. GovDelivery provides customers a 

seamless transition between Web sites, e-mail, and Rich Site Summary (RSS) feeds. It 

incorporates social media integration for cross-promotion of Departmental information, 

generates automatic e-mails, and provides analytical tools to assess customers’ interactions 

with Departmental Web sites and e-mail information. In 2015, $204,000 is requested for this 

project, no change from the 2014 level.

Presidential Scholars Program

This program, started in 1964, recognizes the Nation’s most distinguished graduating high 

school seniors. Each year, the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects 

up to 141 students for this honor. To support this program in 2015, $1.0 million is 

requested, same as the 2014 level.

President’s Education Awards 

The President’s Education Awards program is an annual effort to recognize students for 

outstanding educational achievement. Awards are given in two categories: 1) the

President’s Award for Educational Excellence, which recognizes academic success in the 

classroom; and 2) the President’s Award for Educational Achievement, which recognizes 

students who show outstanding educational growth or intellectual development but do not 

meet the criteria for the Educational Excellence Awards. In 2015, $140,000 is requested for 

this program, no change from the 2014 level. 

Teaching Ambassador Fellowship program

The Teaching Ambassador Fellowship (TAF) program enables outstanding teachers to bring 

their classroom expertise to the Department and expand their knowledge of national 

education policy. In turn, Teaching Fellows facilitate the learning of other educators and 

community members in their hometowns, home schools, and throughout the States, while 

informing policy through interactions with Department leaders in Washington, DC. In 2013,

the Office of Communication and Outreach (OCO) began piloting a Principal Fellowship

program in conjunction with the TAF. In 2015, $328,000 is requested for non-personnel 

items for the TAF program, no change from 2014.

Office of the Chief Financial Officer

Financial Advisor’s contract 

The financial advisor’s contract supports preparation of financial statements, data 

reconciliation, development of policies and procedures, and other financial management 

activities. In 2015, $66,000 is requested for this contract, an increase of $43,000 from the 

2014 level.
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Salaries and Expenses

Z-21

Continuous Controls Monitoring System (CCMS)

This system continues to provide daily analysis and monitoring of ED payment transactions

in Financial Management Support System (FMSS)-Oracle and G5. Administrative and G5 

payments are automatically scanned and any potential improper payments are identified 

and quickly resolved. System outputs provide data for detailed analysis, as well as 

management dashboards and reports. Identifying and reducing improper payments has 

become a focus in recent years as a result of the enactment of the Improper Payments 

Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010. In 2015, $150,000 is requested, no change from the 

2014 level. 

Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) planning support 

A total of $200,000 is requested in 2015 for strategic planning and performance reporting 

required under GPRA, including the annual Performance and Accountability Report and the

Annual Performance Budget. The request is no change from the 2014 level.

Chief Financial Officer’s Council/Chief Information Officer’s Council 

In 2015, $578,000, no change from 2014, is included primarily to support the operations and 

related activities of two interagency organizations: 1) the U.S. Chief Financial Officers 

(CFO) Council, an organization consisting of the CFOs and Deputy CFOs of the largest 

Federal Agencies, and senior officials of OMB and the Department of the Treasury, who 

work collaboratively to improve financial management; and 2) the Chief Information Officer’s

Council, consisting of Federal Agency chief information officers, who monitor and consult on 

agency technology efforts.

OMB Circular A-123 initiative

Contractual assistance will support the Department’s actions related to OMB Circular A-123, 

which provides guidance on improving the accountability and effectiveness of Federal 

programs and operations by establishing, assessing, correcting, and reporting on internal 

controls. Although Department staff perform the majority of internal control assessments for 

Agency financial reporting, the Department does not have the technical expertise to perform 

all risk assessments and other A-123 activities related to general computer controls. 

Without contract support, the Department would not be able to provide assurance that its 

internal control structure and financial management systems meet the A-123 requirements. 

In 2015, a total of $425,000 is requested for this initiative, same as the 2014 level. 

Acquisition support services

This contract will support contract compliance reviews and the timely closeout of contract 

awards. This support will allow the Department to close a significant backlog of old 

contracts and deobligate unexpended funds. A total of $150,000 is requested for this 

activity in 2015, same as the 2014 level.
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Salaries and Expenses

Z-22

Federal audit clearinghouse

Funds are requested for an agreement with the Bureau of the Census to serve as the 

Clearinghouse for Single Audit Act Reports. The Bureau of the Census processes incoming 

reporting packages and related data collection forms; develops and maintains an electronic 

database of data from the forms; and handles inquiries from auditees, auditors, and the 

general public concerning audit requirements. The 2015 request is $645,000, no change 

from the 2014 level.

Office of the Chief Information Officer

Central information technology 

Information technology activities that comprise centralized IT services include 

Departmentwide computer operations, maintenance and improvements, local area network 

operations, telecommunications, and other commonly shared Department IT and office 

automation activities. The funds are administered by the Office of the Chief Information 

Officer. A total of $47.9 million is requested, an increase of $8.7 million from the 2014 level, 

mostly for necessary upgrades of and enhancements to EDCAPS, the Department’s core 

financial system. Requested funds are primarily for EDUCATE, EDCAPS, and IT security. 

The following projects are included in the Central IT budget:

Education Department utility for communications, applications, and technical environment 

(EDUCATE) 

The EDUCATE IT investment encompasses the Department’s centralized IT network and 

telecommunications projects. Items supported include security and privacy operations, 

desktop services, Helpdesk support, data center operations, telecommunications 

services, e-mail, disaster recovery operations, and printer services. 

The EDUCATE project is funded from multiple Department accounts. The total 

requested in the Program Administration account for 2015 is $24.9 million.

Independent Verification and Validation for EDUCATE 

Independent Verification and Validation contract support will be used to validate that the 

EDUCATE contractor is performing its contractual requirements and deliverables with no 

disruptions in service to Department customers. In 2015, $442,000 is requested for this 

contract, no change from the 2014 level.

Education central automated processing system (EDCAPS)

A total of $11.0 million is requested in 2015 for the continued operations and 

enhancement of the EDCAPS single core financial system, which includes five major 

components: G5, the Contracts and Purchasing Support System (CPSS), the Financial 

Management Systems Software (FMSS), the Integrated Support System, and the Travel 

System. The request is an increase of $6.7 million from the 2014 level.
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Salaries and Expenses

Z-23

A significant part of the increase, $1.4 million, is to complete the implementation of the 

FMSS upgrade to Oracle Release 12. The current 11i version is now considered at “endof-life” by the vendor. End-of-life means that Oracle will be ending vendor support for the 

11i version of the application. ED is currently only receiving extended support, which is a 

reduced level of support. The reduced level of support ED receives from Oracle, i.e. 

limited patches or system features, places the FMSS in serious risk of not being able to 

comply with Governmentwide initiatives and directives and federally mandated 

enhancements going forward. The migration to FMSS Oracle release 12 will include 

evaluating shared service providers (SSP). OMB is directing Agencies to migrate to an 

SSP when implementing or migrating to new versions of financial management 

applications. This implementation will start in FY 2014. 

FMSS provides the Department a single, core financial management system which 

includes the following services: funds control, accounts receivable, accounts payable, 

purchasing, and general ledger, as well as reporting capabilities including the annual, 

quarterly and monthly financial statements, FACTS reports, SF133 reports, Status of 

Funds, Award Financial History Report, etc. The FMSS provides validation and edit 

checks that ensure the integrity and accuracy of financial data for all transactions 

processed by users and interfacing systems, i.e. G5 grant management system, CPSS, 

E2 Travel Management System, Federal Student Aid's Financial Management System 

(FSA FMS), and the Department of Interior (DOI) payroll file.

As in prior years, the Department strategically funded ongoing EDCAPS contracts in 

2013 to reduce its financial obligation in 2014. However, these actions will necessitate 

restored operations funding in 2015. As a point of comparison, total funding for EDCAPS 

was $9.6 million in FY 2013. The remaining portion of the increase for EDCAPS is critical 

to ensure continued functioning of the Department’s key financial systems, including 

those providing the disbursement of grants and loans.

Both the Program Administration and Student Aid Administration accounts provide 

EDCAPS funding. 

EDWeb 

The Department’s Internet site (www.ed.gov) provides a critical communications link to 

both its internal and external customers, including grantees, students, parents, 

educational institutions, government agencies, and contractors. The request for 

maintenance and enhancements of the sites in 2015 is $1.7 million. 

IT investment management

The IT Investment Management (ITIM) project has two parts. The first is designed to 

improve the manner in which the Department selects, manages, and evaluates IT 

projects. The second enables the Department to collect and report electronically on its IT 

projects, as required by OMB Circular A-11 and the Federal Information Management 

Security Act. A total of $617,000 is requested for the project in 2015, no change from 

2014.
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Salaries and Expenses

Z-24

IT security

Several IT projects provide security for the Department’s IT systems. These include: 

1) Cyber Security, which provides the Department with cyber monitoring and analysis of 

cyber intrusion, system vulnerabilities, and support for remediation after a breach has 

occurred; 2) the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) Reporting Tool,

which collects and reports on the security status of the Department’s IT systems; 

3) Information Assurance Enhancement, designed to establish, maintain, and sustain 

cyber security situational awareness Departmentwide; 4) Information Assurance Security 

Training, which provides IT security training to Department employees and contractors; 

5) Identity Management, which addresses the HSPD-12 requirement to support One 

Time Password for two-factor authentication for Department employees and support 

contractors when they are accessing Department IT systems from remote locations. This 

is a process involving two stages to verify the identity of an entity trying to access 

services in a computer or in a network; and 6) Security Authorization, which supports 

Department compliance with FISMA and OMB standards and requirements for IT 

systems.

The total request for these projects is $4.9 million, an increase of $210,000 from the 2014

level. The total request supports the implementation of additional enterprise security 

tools for Web application filtering, data loss prevention, and network access control, the 

operations and maintenance of continuous monitoring tools, and enhancements to cyber 

security operations to include the integration of risk management and continuous

monitoring into current operations. Most Information Assurance activities are required by 

statute, Executive Order, OMB guidance, or Governmentwide directive.

Enterprise architecture

Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a strategic planning and management framework that 

ensures IT investments meet the Department’s primary goals and objectives. This 

project supports analysis of IT investments on an enterprise-wide basis and collects 

information describing current and future use of technology. The funding request will be 

used to develop and implement the Department’s Enterprise Architecture, including the 

Future State Vision, Transition Plan, and Information Resource Management Strategic 

Plan. EA is mandated by the Clinger-Cohen Act and OMB regulation, and ensures that 

business needs drive technology acquisitions. The 2015 request for the project is 

$571,000, the same as 2014.

Enterprise intranet (ConnectED)

The ConnectED Intranet Web sites are a communication mechanism used by the 

Department to deliver and receive information among Department of Education

employees and contractors. In addition to the main Web site, ConnectED hosts almost 

50 other Web sites for Department offices and programs. Contractor support is needed

to maintain the Web sites and to provide support and training to staff who are content 

providers. The 2015 request is $452,000, no change from the 2014 level.
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Salaries and Expenses

Z-25

Grants.gov 

Grants.gov was created as a single portal for all Federal grant customers to find, apply 

for, and manage grants online. In 2015, the Department of Health and Human Services, 

the managing partner of this initiative, requests $544,000, a decrease of $4,000 from the 

2014 level.

Financial management line of business 

The goal of the Financial Management Line of Business initiative is to identify 

opportunities to reduce the cost of Government and improve services to citizens through

business performance improvements. In 2015, $220,000 is requested for this 

e-Government initiative, a decrease of $11,000 from the 2014 level.

Office of Management

Central support items

Departmental overhead expenses, administered by the Office of Management, cover 

centralized support and administrative services for all offices. These services include rent, 

building alterations and repairs, training, supplies, mail, and interagency agreements for

services purchased from other Agencies. A total of $76.4 million is requested for these 

items in 2015, a decrease of $1.3 million from the 2014 level, primarily from rent and 

physical security items. The following projects are included in the Central Support budget:

Rent 

The $41.5 million request for rent is a decrease of $0.6 million from the 2014 level, due to 

anticipated rent savings. The Department is in the process of comprehensively analyzing

its space needs in order to identify opportunities to reduce its footprint.

Security items for personnel and buildings

A total of $10.5 million is requested for security-related items including guard services, 

investigations, and the implementation of the Continuity of Operations Plan. The Federal 

Protective Service (FPS) is responsible for setting overall security policy and in 

determining the costs of security items. The Department works with the FPS and other 

local and Federal law enforcement organizations to ensure the safety and security of the 

Department's many buildings, its classified information, and its employees. The 

Department’s security policies and procedures have been implemented in response to 

General Services Administration and Department of Homeland Security standards, and 

follow regulations set forth in HSPD-12, FISMA, and a series of Executive Orders. The 

request is a decrease of $670,000 from the 2014 level.

ED Pubs 

ED Pubs provides for storage, shipping, and dissemination of Department publications. 

The Department procures these services via an interagency agreement with the National 

Technical Information Service. The 2015 request is $4.7 million, no change from 2014. 
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Salaries and Expenses

Z-26

Mail

The 2015 request for mail is $805,000, no change from the 2014 level. Within the scope 

of the Executive Order on “Promoting Efficient Spending,” the Department’s postage 

costs have decreased from FY 2013. Even though mailing of material is an important 

way the Department communicates with its customers, the Department relies heavily on 

the Internet and electronic communications and applications.

Transit subsidies

The request includes $2.4 million to provide subsidies to encourage Department 

employees to take mass transit to work.

Training

A total of $1 million is requested for employee training and management development 

activities in 2015, no change from the 2014 level. 

Federal personnel and payroll system 

Through an interagency agreement with the Department of the Interior, the Department 

uses the Federal Personnel Payroll System for automated human resource services such 

as payroll operations, the time and attendance system, and training. In 2015, $1.5 million 

is requested for this system, an increase of $216,000 from 2014.

Overtime utilities

This project funds after-hour and weekend heating and air conditioning costs in 

headquarters buildings occupied by Department personnel. The request in 2015 is 

$1.0 million, no change from the 2014 level.

Record information management services (RIMS) support services

A total of $907,000 in 2015 will support compliance with Government initiatives regarding 

the acquisition, release, and maintenance of information. This includes carrying out

provisions of the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act. The request is no 

change from the 2014 level.

Enterprise human resource integration 

The Enterprise Human Resource Integration project streamlines and automates the 

exchange of Federal employee human resources information. Participation in this 

initiative will provide the Department’s Human Resources managers and specialists with 

a centralized data warehouse to assist in workforce planning and analysis capabilities 

that are not possible with a paper-based system. In 2015, $76,000 is requested for this 

ongoing e-Government initiative, an increase of $6,000 from the 2014 level.
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Salaries and Expenses

Z-27

Human resources management line of business 

The goal of the Human Resources Line of Business initiative is to identify opportunities to 

reduce the cost of Government and improve services to citizens through business 

performance improvements. The Department will benefit by utilizing “best-in-class”

human resources systems. In 2015, $66,000 is requested for this ongoing e-Government 

initiative, no change from the 2014 level.

Human Capital and Client Services (HCCS) Support Services

In recent years, HCCS has experienced a loss of key talent through attrition. Funds are 

needed to acquire human resources services through both interagency agreements and 

procurements to address peak workload issues related to hiring, position classification, 

and workforce management. Purchasing these services rather than increasing internal 

capacity allows greater flexibility to meet both immediate and longer term client needs. 

Additionally, funding will support much needed internal workforce planning and 

competency development of HCCS staff to improve human resources operations, training

and development, organizational effectiveness, and performance with an expected 

outcome of greater efficiency through improved skills, standardization of processes, and 

use of technology. In 2015, $625,000 is requested for this project, an increase of 

$125,000 above the 2014 level to acquire additional outsourcing of peak and seasonal 

activities. This request will diminish the need to hire additional permanent or temporary 

FTE.

Office of Postsecondary Education

Integrated Data Collection and Performance Reporting

Currently, there are eight analogous Annual Performance Reporting (APR) systems being 

used across OPE for grantee monitoring, information dissemination, and performance data 

management. These eight different systems allow OPE to compile data using grantee 

reports and staff evaluations contained within these systems to aid in monitoring grantee 

performance, meeting GPRA requirements and report performance data to OMB. OPE is 

modernizing its data collection applications/systems by consolidating and eliminating the

legacy systems. The 2015 request for this effort is $542,000, no change from 2014.

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services 

Randolph-Sheppard arbitrations 

A total of $220,000 is requested in 2015 for Randolph-Sheppard arbitrations. The 

Randolph-Sheppard Act authorizes a program to provide gainful employment for individuals 

who are blind to operate vending facilities on Federal and other property. The Rehabilitation 

Services Administration (RSA) is required to administer the arbitration process that involves 

grievances for blind licensees; hearing and arbitration; non-compliance by Federal 

Departments and Agencies; and complaints by State licensing agencies. The request is no 

change from the 2014 level.
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Salaries and Expenses

Z-28

Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education

Adult Education National Reporting System Web-based Data Collection System

The Adult Education National Reporting System Web-based Data Collection System is a 

cornerstone of the effort to meet the accountability requirements of the Workforce

Investment Act. Statistics for performance measures such as student advances in 

educational functional levels and employment retention are collected online from grantee 

States and used as a basis for negotiation of continuous improvement goals. In addition, 

required narrative reports and annual financial status reports are submitted by the States 

through the system. In 2015, $150,000 is requested for operating the system, no change 

from the 2014 level.

Office of the Under Secretary

White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans 

The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans is responsible 

for improving Federal efforts to promote quality education for Hispanic Americans. Activities 

include enhancing opportunities in education by connecting Hispanic communities with

resources to improve outcomes for all students. In 2015, $150,000 is requested for nonpersonnel items such as travel and contractual services, a decrease of $2,000 from 2014.

White House Initiative on American Indians and Alaska Native Education (formerly 

WHITCU)

The goal of this initiative is to provide American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students 

of all ages high-quality education and career-building opportunities. This initiative is 

responsible for improving AI/AN early education programs, promoting excellence, driving the 

reform of elementary and secondary schools, and increasing the expectations of AI/AN

students and the achievements of career-ready students. This initiative facilitates increased 

access to and participation in Federal programs where AI/AN students remain underserved. 

In 2015, $72,000 for non-personnel items such as travel and contractual support is 

requested to support this initiative. This is a decrease of $1,000 from the 2014 level.

White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities 

This initiative is designed to assist Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to 

advance equal opportunity in higher education, strengthen the capacity to provide the 

highest quality education, increase opportunities for these institutions to participate in and 

benefit from Federal programs, and increase the private sector role in strengthening these 

institutions. In 2015, $200,000 is requested for non-personnel items which include board 

and staff travel, printing, contractual services, and an annual HBCU conference, a decrease 

of $2,000 from the FY 2014 level. 
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Salaries and Expenses

Z-29

Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

This initiative’s focus is to engage community-based organizations, both secular and faith‐

based, in building a culture of high expectations, building support for education, and 

developing and supporting initiatives within the Federal Government to help maximize the 

education contributions of community-based organizations. The Department is working to 

identify and eliminate barriers to participation in ED programs by faith-based and 

community-based organizations. In 2015, $53,000 for related non-personnel items such as 

travel and contractual support costs, is requested to achieve the goals of this initiative. The 

request is no change from the 2014 level. 

White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

The Initiative, co-chaired by the Secretaries of Education and Commerce, is housed within 

the Department of Education. The Initiative works to improve the quality of life and 

opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders by facilitating increased access to 

and participation in Federal programs in which they are underserved. In 2015, $125,000 is 

requested for non-personnel items such as board and staff travel, printing, and contractual 

services, a decrease of $4,000 from the 2014 level.

White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans

This Initiative works to help accelerate national efforts to support African American students.

Improving educational opportunities for all students is critical to ensuring an increase in 

college completion and employment rates to strengthen our Nation’s economy. In 2015, 

$128,000 is requested for non-personnel items such as board and staff travel, printing, 

contractual services, a decrease of $3,000 from the 2014 level. 

Office of Innovation and Improvement

FTE

Three additional FTE are requested to establish an Office of STEM Education that would 

play a critical role in improving K-12 STEM instruction as part of the Administration’s 

reorganization of Federal STEM investments. More information on the STEM Innovation 

initiative is provided in the Innovation and Instructional Teams justification.

Activities to Support the Office of STEM Education

A total of $2.0 million would allow the new Office of STEM Education to engage in outreach 

and technical assistance activities to States and districts to support the STEM Innovation 

initiatives and help promote the broad adoption of evidence-based practices through the 

STEM Virtual Learning Network and other communities of practice.

Special projects

A total of $250,000 in special projects funds will provide administrative support for the 

following:
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Salaries and Expenses

Z-30

• Technical assistance to grantees on evaluation – the Department has had success in 

providing technical assistance on evaluation to Investing in Innovation (i3) grantees. 

For example, 75 of the 92 current grantees are on track to produce studies that will 

meet the rigorous evaluation standards of the Department’s What Works 

Clearinghouse. However, two other high-profile programs – School Leadership and 

Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) – do not currently have the legal 

authority to provide this assistance from program funds. The Department requests 

$100,000 to provide technical assistance to grantees in these programs.

• Outreach and Dissemination – The Department requests $50,000 to compile and 

share findings from the first cohort of i3 grantees that will be completing their work in 

the next year. This outreach is critical to scaling up what has worked.

• Technical Assistance for ConnectED – A total of $100,000 is requested for 

Department activities related to the Administration’s ConnectED initiative, funded 

through the Federal Communications Commission E-rate, which aims to build highspeed digital connections to America’s schools and libraries. ConnectED will involve 

school districts planning school and district-wide technology upgrades, including 

plans to use technology effectively in the classroom. This requires expertise that 

many districts are only beginning to develop, and the Department is well-positioned 

to work with these districts to leverage the experience and best practices of other 

districts.

Institute of Education Sciences

In FY 2014, the Performance Information Management Service (PIMS) office (14 FTE) in 

OPEPD is being transferred to the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). PIMS staff as well 

as its non-pay funding, including the EDFacts contract, are now reflected in IES.

FTE

A total of 2 FTE are requested in 2015 for the following positions:

• The Commissioner for Special Education Research is responsible for managing and 

coordinating all special education research activities within the Institute, serving as the 

senior research advisor to the Director, and representing the research mission and 

activities of the Institute to key constituencies and organizations both within and outside 

the Department. This position was formerly funded via an IPA, so the requested FTE 

increase is offset by a corresponding non-pay decrease.

• Associate Commissioner for the newly created Sample Survey Division within the 

National Center for Education Statistics.

EDFacts

EDFacts is a U.S. Department of Education initiative to put performance data at the center 

of policy, management and budget decisions for all K-12 education programs. It provides a 

Web-based collection for K-12 education performance data, ad hoc and standard reporting, 
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Salaries and Expenses

Z-31

commercial-off-the-shelf software for business process management and meta data 

collection, a data warehouse centralizing K-12 data with data from other systems, and a 

commercial software survey. Services also include data supplier conferences, data user 

and supplier assistance, technical assistance to States, custom reports, and training. 

EDFacts collects data for performance, accountability, and related information for K-12 

education programs, including programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education 

Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the Carl D. Perkins Career 

and Technical Education Act. EDFacts data is centralized with data from other ED 

investments such as financial grant information. EDFacts supports policy and budget 

decisions with a degree of accuracy and timeliness not previously available. The primary 

beneficiaries of EDFacts are Department program/grant offices, policymakers, States, 

researchers, and members of Congress. EDFacts also supports outcome and progress 

reporting on initiatives such as Race to the Top. Other Department investments use 

EDFacts data and infrastructure: Common Core of Data and the Civil Rights Data Collection 

use EDFacts data; Grants Administration and Payments System (GAPS) provides data to 

the EDFacts data warehouse to increase business intelligence; Migrant Student Information 

Exchange (MSIX) shares master data; Risk Management System (RMS) shares business 

intelligence infrastructure; and EDFacts data warehouse provides data for IDEA section 618.

In 2015, $11.7 million is requested for EDFacts, an increase of $902,000 from the 2014 

level. The increase will support expansion of the EQuIP data quality program to improve the 

K-12 performance data submitted to EDFacts and K-12 business intelligence. This work 

has already improved the ability of Department program offices to provide detailed and 

timely feedback to State staff regarding the data they are submitting to EDFacts. A portion 

of the increase will support reengineering this aging system to take advantage of improved 

models for automation, database-to-database communication, and information access. The 

reengineering is expected to simplify data submission by the States and reduce overall 

maintenance by the Department.

OTHER BUDGET ITEMS 

The funds requested for the offices not mentioned in the previous sectionthe Offices of 

English Language Acquisition, Legislation and Congressional Affairs, General Counsel, and 

the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistanceare primarily for ongoing 

operations including travel, supplies, overtime, and small contracts.
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Building Modernization

Z-32

Building Modernization

(DEOA)

(dollars in thousands)

FY 2015 Authorization: Indefinite

Budget authority:

2014

Estimate

2015 

Request

Change

from 2015

0 $1,513 +$1,513

____________________________________________________________________________

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Building Modernization activity supports building renovations and related expenses 

necessary for the relocation of Department of Education staff within the Washington, D.C. 

metropolitan area and in several regional offices.

Funding levels for the past 5 fiscal years were:

Fiscal Year (dollars in thousands)

2010 ............................................................................... $8,200

2011 ................................................................................. 8,184

2012 ........................................................................................ 0

2013 ........................................................................................ 0

2014 ........................................................................................ 0

FY 2015 BUDGET REQUEST

As directed by Presidential Memorandum--Disposing of Unneeded Federal Real Estate on 

June 10, 2010, all executive Departments and Agencies are to accelerate efforts to identify and 

eliminate excess properties. Agencies are also to take immediate steps to make better use of 

remaining real property assets as measured by utilization and occupancy rates, annual

operating cost, energy efficiency, and sustainability. To the extent permitted by law, Agencies 

are to accelerate cycle times for identifying excess assets and disposing of surplus assets; 

eliminate lease arrangements that are not cost effective; pursue consolidation opportunities 

within and across Agencies in common asset types (such as data centers, office space, 

warehouses, and laboratories); increase occupancy rates in current facilities through innovative 

approaches to space management and alternative workplace arrangements, such as telework; 

and identify offsetting reductions in inventory when new space is acquired.

In accordance with this memorandum, the Department will utilize anticipated 2014 carryover 

funding for the following actions to consolidate space and reduce the Department’s overall 

footprint.
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Building Modernization

Z-33

Description

2014 

Carryover

LBJ 2nd Floor modernization project to include smaller workstations, hoteling 

space, and other space efficiencies. $2,408

Dallas Regional Office – lease expiration with relocation 4,396

LBJ 3rd-5th Floor Modernization Project to include smaller workstations, 

hoteling space, and other space efficiencies. 6,391

IT construction support for building modernization of headquarters and 

regional offices for renovation and relocation. 114

Total 13,309

A total of $1.5 million is requested in 2015 for Building Modernization, an increase of 

$1.5 million from the 2014 level. 

The funds requested in 2015 are for the following purposes: 1) $1.3 million for the LBJ 3rd-5th

Floor Modernization Project to renovate and refurbish the space to include smaller workstations, 

hoteling space, and other special areas resulting in space efficiencies of about 30 percent, 

provide for workspace flexibility for telework and flexible schedules to help reduce the overall 

footprint of the Department by moving people out of other rentable space; and 2) $150,000 for 

Information Technology (IT) support for building modernization.

Requested funds would be used as follows:

(dollars in thousands)

Object Class/Office Description 2014 2015

32 Building Alterations 

(OM)

LBJ 3rd-5th Floor Modernization 

Project.

0 $1,363

25.72 IT 

Services/Contracts 

(OCIO)

IT construction support for building 

modernization of headquarters

and regional offices for renovation 

and relocation.

0 150

Total 0 1,513
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Z-34

CFull-time Equivalent Employment by Office

Click here for accessible version

Full-time Equivalent Employment (Staff Years)

2015 Change from

OFFICE Request 2014 to 2015

Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance 5 6 6 0

Career, Technical, and Adult Education 80 81 81 0

Chief Information Officer 120 118 118 0

Chief Financial Officer 157 154 154 0

Communications and Outreach 105 103 103 0

Deputy Secretary 63 65 65 0

Elementary and Secondary Education 234 230 235 5

English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and 0

 Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Student 17 18 18 0

General Counsel 96 95 95 0

Innovation and Improvement 90 90 93 3

Institute of Education Sciences 170 181 183 2

Legislation and Congressional Affairs 18 18 18 0

Management 166 170 170 0

Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development 95 84 85 1

Postsecondary Education 149 148 148 0

Secretary 94 92 92 0

Special Education and Rehabilitative Services 255 248 248 0

Under Secretary 28 33 33 0

Total 1,942 1,934 1,945 11

2013 2014
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Z-35

Summary of Budget Authority by Office

Click here for accessible version 

 Summary of Budget Authority by Principal Office

(dollars in thousands)

Change from

 OFFICE 2014 to 2015

Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance $762 $840 $853 $13

Career, Technical, and Adult Education 11,686 11,986 12,176 190

Central Information Technology 56,145 39,149 48,012 8,863

Chief Information Officer 18,169 18,300 18,598 298

Chief Financial Officer 25,381 25,559 25,945 386

Central Support 70,394 77,685 77,729 44

Communications and Outreach 17,113 17,618 17,820 202

Deputy Secretary 10,589 10,152 11,077 925

Elementary and Secondary Education 33,271 33,057 34,659 1,602

English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and 0

 Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students 2,238 2,622 2,488 (134)

General Counsel 16,482 16,115 16,390 275

Innovation and Improvement 11,962 12,183 14,834 2,651

Institute of Education Sciences 25,918 38,545 40,225 1,680

Legislation and Congressional Affairs 2,243 2,508 2,546 38

Management 24,405 24,959 25,439 480

Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development 24,931 13,279 13,643 364

Postsecondary Education 21,736 21,116 21,455 339

Secretary 14,802 14,988 15,198 210

Special Education and Rehabilitative Services 37,650 36,666 37,254 588

Under Secretary 4,728 5,590 5,659 69

Total Budget Authority 430,605 422,917 442,000 19,083

2013 2014 Request

2015