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<span class="headersLevel1">Mission</span><br />





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<p>ED's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.  </p>

<p>Congress established the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on May 4, 1980, in the Department of Education Organization Act (Public Law 96-88 of October 1979).  Under this law, ED's mission is to:</p>
 <ul>
<li><p>Strengthen the Federal commitment to assuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual;</p></li>
 <li><p>Supplement and complement the efforts of states, the local school systems and other instrumentalities of the states, the private sector, public and private nonprofit educational research institutions, community-based organizations, parents, and students to improve the quality of education;</p></li>
 <li><p>Encourage the increased involvement of the public, parents, and students in Federal education programs;</p></li>
 <li><p>Promote improvements in the quality and usefulness of education through Federally supported research, evaluation, and sharing of information;</p></li>
 <li><p>Improve the coordination of Federal education programs;</p></li>
 <li><p>Improve the management of Federal education activities; and</p></li>
 <li><p>Increase the accountability of Federal education programs to the President, the Congress, and the public.</p></li>
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