FY 2014 Annual Performance Report and FY 2016 Annual Performance Plan—U.S. Department of Education 2 

Mission and Organizational Structure

Who We Are. In 1867, the federal government formally recognized that furthering education 

was a national priority and created a federal education agency to collect and report statistical 

data. The Department was established as a cabinet-level agency in 1979. Today, the 

Department supports programs that address every area and level of education. 

The Department engages in four major types of activities: establishing policies related to federal 

education funding, including the distribution of funds, collecting on student loans, and using data 

to monitor the use of funds; supporting data collection and research on America’s schools; 

identifying major issues in education and focusing national attention on them; and enforcing 

federal laws prohibiting discrimination in programs that receive federal funds. 

Our Public Benefit. The Department is committed to helping to ensure that all students 

throughout the nation develop skills to succeed in school, college, and the workforce. While 

recognizing the primary role of states and school districts in providing a high-quality education, 

the Department supports efforts to employ highly qualified teachers and administrators, 

establish challenging content and achievement standards, and monitor students’ progress 

against those standards. 

The Department’s largest asset is a portfolio of student loans. Grants to states are the second 

largest item on the balance sheet, mostly for elementary and secondary education, awarded 

based on legislated formulas. The third biggest item is student aid to help pay for college 

through Pell Grants, Work Study, and other campus-based programs. The Department also 

carries out competitive grant programs to promote innovation, performs research, collects 

education statistics, and enforces civil rights statutes. 

Offices by Function. Federal Student Aid (FSA) administers need-based financial assistance 

programs for students pursuing postsecondary education and makes available federal grants, 

direct loans, and work-study funding to eligible undergraduate and graduate students. 

The offices of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), Innovation and Improvement (OII), English Language 

Acquisition (OELA), Postsecondary Education (OPE), and Career, Technical, and Adult 

Education (OCTAE) provide leadership, technical assistance, and financial support to state and 

local educational agencies and institutions of higher education for reform, strategic investment, 

and innovation in education. 

Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is the research and statistics arm of the Department. The 

Department’s goal 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. Its goal is to transform education into an evidence-based field in which decision makers 

Our Mission

The U.S. Department of Education’s mission is to promote student 

achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering 

educational excellence and ensuring equal access.

Our Mission

The U.S. Department of Education’s mission is to promote student 

achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering 

educational excellence and ensuring equal access.
MISSION AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

FY 2014 Annual Performance Report and FY 2016 Annual Performance Plan—U.S. Department of Education 3 

routinely seek out the best available research and data before adopting programs or practices 

that will affect significant numbers of students. 

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) works to ensure equal access to education and to promote 

educational excellence throughout the nation through vigorous enforcement of civil rights. OCR 

serves student populations facing discrimination and the advocates and institutions promoting 

systemic solutions to civil rights issues. 

The Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development (OPEPD) serves as the principal 

adviser to the Secretary on all matters relating to policy development, performance 

measurement and evaluation, and budget processes and proposals. Two major components, 

the Budget Service and the Policy and Program Studies Service (PPSS), are housed within 

OPEPD. 

Support Service Offices. The Department’s support services offices are major partners with 

the grant-making and other principal offices as they provide services to external customers. 

These offices include: Office of the Secretary; Office of the Deputy Secretary; Office of the 

Under Secretary; Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs; Office of the Chief Financial 

Officer; Office of the Chief Information Officer; Risk Management Services; and Office of 

Communications and Outreach. 

Regional Offices. The Department has 10 regional offices that provide points of contact and 

assistance for schools, parents, and citizens. Regional offices offer support through 

communications, civil rights enforcement, and federal student aid services to promote efficiency, 

effectiveness, and integrity in the programs and operations of the Department. 

Descriptions of the principal offices and overviews of the activities of the Department and its 

programs can be found on the Department’s website. 
MISSION AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

FY 2014 Annual Performance Report and FY 2016 Annual Performance Plan—U.S. Department of Education 4 

Our Organization in Fiscal Year 2014

This chart reflects the statutory organizational structure of the U.S. Department of 

Education. Interactive and text versions of the coordinating structure of the Department 

are available.