FY 2020 AGENCY FINANCIAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 5

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

FY 2018–22 Strategic Goals and Strategic Objectives2

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

In accordance with the GPRA Modernization Act of 20101, the Department’s framework for performance management 

starts with the four-year Strategic Plan, including its two-year Agency Priority Goals (APGs), which serve as the foundation 

for establishing and implementing long-term priorities and performance goals, objectives, and measures by which the 

Department can gauge achievement of its stated outcomes. Progress towards the Department’s strategic goals and its APGs 

is measured using data-driven review and analysis. Additional information on performance management is available in the 

Annual Performance Plans and Annual Performance Reports.

The FY 2018–22 Strategic Plan is comprised of four strategic goals and five FY 2019-20 APGs. The Strategic Plan aims to 

align the Administration’s yearly budget requests and the Department’s legislative agenda, supported by the considerable 

experience and resources available from its staff. The Department continues to welcome input from Congress, state and local 

partners, and other education stakeholders about the Strategic Plan. Questions or comments about the Strategic Plan should 

be emailed to PIO@ed.gov.

1 GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 amends the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA).

2 The FY 2020 Statement of Net Cost and related notes align with the FY 2018–22 Strategic Plan.

THE DEPARTMENT’S APPROACH TO PERFORMANCE

Strategic Goal 1: Support state and local efforts to improve learning outcomes for all prekindergarten–grade 12 students in every community.

Strategic Objective 1.1 Increase high-quality educational options and empower students and parents to choose an education that meets their needs.

Strategic Objective 1.2 Provide all prekindergarten - grade 12 students with equal access to high-quality educational opportunities.

Strategic Objective 1.3 Prepare all students for successful transitions to college and careers by supporting access to dual enrollment, job skills development 

and high-quality science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Strategic Objective 1.4 Support agencies and institutions in the implementation of evidence-based strategies and practices that build the capacity of school 

staff and families to support students’ academic performance.

Strategic Goal 2: Expand postsecondary educational opportunities, improve outcomes to foster economic opportunity and promote an informed, 

thoughtful and productive citizenry.

Strategic Objective 2.1 Support educational institutions, students, parents and communities to increase access and completion of college, lifelong learning 

and career, technical and adult education.

Strategic Objective 2.2 Support agencies and educational institutions in identifying and using evidence-based strategies or other promising practices to 

improve educational opportunities and successfully prepare individuals to compete in the global economy.

Strategic Objective 2.3 Support agencies and educational institutions as they create or expand innovative and affordable paths to relevant careers by 

providing postsecondary credentials or job-ready skills.

Strategic Objective 2.4 Improve quality of service for customers across the entire student aid life cycle.

Strategic Objective 2.5 Enhance students’ and parents’ ability to repay their federal student loans by providing accurate and timely information, relevant tools 

and manageable repayment options.

Strategic Goal 3: Strengthen the quality, accessibility and use of education data through better management, increased privacy protections 

and transparency.

Strategic Objective 3.1 Improve the Department’s data governance, data life cycle management and the capacity to support education data.

Strategic Objective 3.2 Improve privacy protections for, and transparency of, education data both at the Department and in the education community.

Strategic Objective 3.3 Increase access to, and use of, education data to make informed decisions both at the Department and in the education community.

Strategic Goal 4: Reform the effectiveness, efficiency and accountability of the Department.

Strategic Objective 4.1 Provide regulatory relief to educational institutions and reduce burden by identifying time-consuming regulations, processes and policies 

and working to improve or eliminate them, while continuing to protect taxpayers from waste and abuse.

Strategic Objective 4.2 Identify, assess, monitor and manage enterprise risks.

Strategic Objective 4.3 Strengthen the Department’s cybersecurity by enhancing protections for its information technology infrastructure, systems and data.

Strategic Objective 4.4 Improve the engagement and preparation of the Department’s workforce using professional development and accountability measures.
6 FY 2020 AGENCY FINANCIAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

THE DEPARTMENT’S AGENCY PRIORITY GOALS (APGs)

The Department identified five APGs for FY 2020-2021. Improving education starts with allowing greater decision-making 

authority at the state and local levels and empowering parents and students with educational options. These goals seek 

to increase education choices, enhance multiple pathways for student success in career and job ready skills, improve the 

Department’s Federal Student Aid customer service, improve student privacy protection and cybersecurity at institutions of 

higher education (IHEs), and provide regulatory relief and burden reduction to stakeholders. The effective implementation 

of the Department’s APGs will depend, in part, on the effective use of high-quality and timely data, including evaluations 

and performance measures. The Goal Action Plans and quarterly updates for the APGs are available on https://www.

performance.gov/education/.

APG Related Strategic Objective

Education Freedom: Improve awareness of and access to high-quality K-12 

education opportunities for students and families. By September 30, 2021, the 

Department will increase both the number and percentage of total charter school 

students and total scholarship students nationwide. 

• Charter school enrollment will increase from 3.29 million to 3.51 million (6.90 percent 

of all students in public schools). 

• The number of scholarship students, including participants in state-based vouchers, 

tax-credit scholarship, and education savings account program, will increase from 

482,000 to 579,250 (1.10 percent of the total school age population). 

• The number of parents who receive support and engagement through technical 

assistance and other resources will increase by 5 percent per year.

Strategic Objective 1.1: Increase high-quality educational 

options and empower students and parents to choose an 

education that meets their needs.

Multiple Pathways to Success: Improve nationwide awareness of and access to 

career pathways that support job skills development and career readiness. By 

September 30, 2021, the Department will, through programs such as the Career and 

Technical Education and Adult Education State Grants:

• Support the creation and expansion of integrated education and training (IET) 

programs in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. 

• Increase enrollment of participants in IET programs to 56,000.

• Support the enrollment of Career and Technical Education concentrators in science, 

technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. 

• Increase by 25,000 the number of federal financial aid recipients who earn a 

postsecondary credential in STEM.

Strategic Objective 1.3: Prepare all students for 

successful transitions to college and careers by supporting 

access to dual enrollment, job skills development and highquality science, technology, engineering and mathematics 

(STEM).

Strategic Objective 2.3: Support agencies and 

educational institutions as they create or expand 

innovative and affordable paths to relevant careers by 

providing postsecondary credentials or job-ready skills.

FSA Customer Service: Leverage the Next Generation Financial Services 

Environment (Next Gen FSA) to improve and personalize customers’ experience 

with Federal Student Aid (FSA). By September 30, 2021, FSA will transform its 

relationship with prospective and current customers through deployment of significant 

components of the Next Gen FSA that result in a personalized experience:

• The number of individuals submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid®

(FAFSA®) through a mobile device will increase to 2.6 million. 

• The overall customer satisfaction level throughout the student aid life cycle, as 

measured by the FSA Customer Satisfaction score1, will increase.

Strategic Objective 2.4: Improve quality of service for 

customers across the entire student aid life cycle.

Student Privacy and Cybersecurity: Improve student privacy and cybersecurity 

at institutions of higher education (IHEs) through outreach and compliance 

efforts. By September 30, 2021, the Department will participate in 12 engagements 

with sector-related non-governmental organizations to inform the development of five 

best practice programmatic improvements.

Strategic Objective 3.2: Improve privacy protections 

for, and transparency of, education data both at the 

Department and in the education community.

Regulatory Reform: Provide regulatory relief to education stakeholders as 

necessary and appropriate. (Related Strategic Objective: 4.1) By September 30, 

2021, the Department will provide regulatory relief for education stakeholders by taking 

no fewer than eight deregulatory actions, which includes reduction in paperwork burden.

Strategic Objective 4.1: Provide regulatory relief to 

educational institutions and reduce burden by identifying 

time-consuming regulations, processes and policies and 

working to improve or eliminate them, while continuing to 

protect taxpayers from waste and abuse.

1 The Federal Student Aid Customer Satisfaction Score is an annual composite metric that measures the overall customer satisfaction level throughout the student aid life cycle for 

Free Application for Federal Student Aid® (FAFSA®) applicants (mobile and FAFSA.gov), Title IV aid recipients in school, and borrowers in repayment. The score is based on the 

American Customer Satisfaction Index surveys.
FY 2020 AGENCY FINANCIAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 7

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

Strategic Goal 2 focuses on expanding the Department’s 

efforts to support innovative and accessible paths to 

postsecondary credentials and job-ready skills training. 

In addition to supporting expanded postsecondary 

opportunities, the Department has a number of initiatives 

focused on affordability. These initiatives ensure borrowers 

have the best information available to make postsecondary 

program selection and associated borrowing decisions. The 

Department also continues to help students understand 

their financial aid options and repayment obligations. In FY 

2020, $31.6 billion was appropriated to the Department in 

support of this Strategic Goal 2. More than 5,000 grants were 

awarded to support colleges and universities in their efforts 

to promote and expand access and improvements to postsecondary education that will contribute to the global success 

of our nation. In addition, funding for Strategic Goal 2 also 

supports the Department’s enhancements to customer service 

for customers and stakeholders of Federal Student Aid. 

The Department continues efforts to help prepare the nation’s 

workforce of tomorrow with the right skills and credentials 

of today. In FY 2020, the Department conducted a Teaching 

Skills that Matter symposium with more than 1,000 teachers 

to help adult education instructors integrate employability 

skills development with academic instruction. In addition, 

the Department continued to prioritize workforce preparation 

during the COVID-19 pandemic through various virtual and 

technical outreach activities.

In FY 2020, the Department had much success in 

implementing CARES Act provisions. Approximately $14 

billion in funding was appropriated for the CARES Act

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Programs. The 

Department succeeded in distributing 90 percent of the 

funding to IHEs within 30 days of authorization. The 

additional 10 percent was distributed within the following 

Strategic Goal 1 focuses on outcomes related to 

the transition from the No Child Left Behind Act to 

implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), 

which reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary 

Education Act in December 2015. The hallmark of the 

ESSA is the flexibility it provides for states to do what is 

best for children while preserving important protections 

for economically disadvantaged students, children 

with disabilities, English learners, and other vulnerable 

students. The law requires that states take steps to ensure 

all students have access to excellent teachers and positive, 

safe learning environments that equip them for college 

and career success. The Department supports improved 

learning outcomes by awarding approximately $40 billion 

to states, school districts, and nonprofit organizations. 

The Department encourages families to be aware of 

educational opportunities and choices available so that 

they can make the best choice for their student’s needs. 

Access to high-quality educational opportunities should 

be afforded to all students. In FY 2020, the Department 

conducted outreach to states, schools, and other 

educational organizations to promote school choice. As 

learning outcomes are not just affected in the classrooms, 

the Department launched a state information sharing tool 

on schoolsafety.gov which allows schools to share safety 

plans, compare policies, and learn from each other in an 

effort to create safe learning environments.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Equity 

Assistance Centers funded by the Department developed a 

set of resources to facilitate equitable learning opportunities 

in virtual educational environments. In FY 2020, the 

Department supported P–12 schools impacted by 

COVID-19 with more than $13.3 billion in funding. 

Funding included Elementary and Secondary School 

Emergency Relief Fund grants and the Education 

Stabilization Fund-Rethink K-12 Education Models Grants. 

Goal 1. Support state and local efforts to 

improve learning outcomes for all P–12 

students in every community.

Goal 2. Expand postsecondary educational 

opportunities, improve outcomes to 

foster economic opportunity and 

promote an informed, thoughtful 

and productive citizenry.
8 FY 2020 AGENCY FINANCIAL REPORT | U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

than 750 technical assistance inquiries. The Department 

was also proactive in its approach to cybersecurity by 

conducting outreach and meeting with IHEs.

Strategic Goal 4 focuses in general on protecting taxpayers 

from fraud, waste, and abuse. This involves improving 

internal decision-making and reducing regulatory burden 

on external stakeholders. In FY 2020, $623 million was 

appropriated to support Goal 4. 

The Department continually performs comprehensive 

reviews of the Department’s regulations, guidance, and 

information collections to identify and take appropriate 

action with regard to those that are overly burdensome, 

inconsistent with Administration priorities, unnecessary, 

outdated, or ineffective. In FY 2020, there was savings 

from burden reduction of $113.5 million (annualized) 

and $1.622 billion (present value), both over a perpetual 

time horizon. 

Strategic Goal 4 also includes the responsibility of the 

Department to implement Enterprise Risk Management 

(ERM). The Department uses a coordinated approach 

to identify, measure, and assess challenges related to 

mission delivery and resource management. In FY 

2020, the Department joined an Office of Management 

and Budget pilot to test, assess, and validate sections 

or components of ERM. The Department continues 

to assess ERM maturity and identify likelihoods and 

impacts to Department operations and mission. 

Strategic Goal 4 also includes the responsibility to ensure 

the Department’s workforce is properly trained and 

accountable. In FY 2020, the Department implemented 

a strategy focused on improving employee engagement, 

performance, and competency development. The 

Department continues its efforts to provide professional 

development where gaps in competency have been 

identified. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the 

Department continues to foster employee engagement 

through virtual platforms as most employees telework.

three days. Portions of this funding were used to provide 

emergency financial aid to students. 

The Federal Student Aid office provides more than $120 

billion annually to students and their families. Enhancing 

the service provided to customers and stakeholders continues 

to be priority. The Department has made improvements 

to the StudentAid.gov website that enhances customers’ 

individual experience by making information readily available 

at any time and educating customers on loan repayment. 

Because the CARES Act put student loans in administrative 

forbearance and eliminated interest, the Federal Student Aid 

office ensured borrowers were aware of the changes and how 

the changes impacted their payments and balance.

Strategic Goal 3 focuses on strengthening data-driven 

decision-making in education by focusing on the ways 

the Department manages and makes available education 

data, while protecting student privacy. The Department 

is committed to improving how staff and stakeholders 

access, use, and share meaningful data on education 

while protecting privacy. These improvements enable 

the Department and other stakeholders in the education 

community to better provide the public with the 

information necessary to make informed decisions on 

behalf of their communities, states, and local districts. 

Approximately $556 million in discretionary resources was 

appropriated to support Strategic Goal 3 in FY 2020. 

The Department is committed to protecting student’s 

education data both within the Department and at 

educational institutions. In support of this commitment, 

in FY 2020, the Department collaborated with IHEs 

to respond to more than 400 cybersecurity incidents by 

providing technical assistance to assist with remediation 

and improving their cybersecurity postures. As the 

COVID-19 pandemic forced many schools to transition 

to virtual learning, the Department responded to more 

Goal 3. Strengthen the quality, accessibility 

and use of education data through better 

management, increased privacy protections 

and transparency.

Goal 4. Reform the effectiveness, efficiency 

and accountability of the Department.