The agency's Chief Information Officer is charged with implementing the operative principles identified in the Act requiring the establishment of a management framework to improve the planning and control of information technology investments and leading change to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of agency operations. 

The CIO reports directly to the Secretary of Education and provides leadership and direction to: 

- Develop, maintain, and implement a sound and       integrated information technology enterprise architecture; 
- Provide enterprise-wide IT services that       include technical infrastructure support, enhanced infrastructure       services, and centrally supported application services; 
- Promote the effective and efficient design and       operation of major Departmental information resource management processes       and recommend, as appropriate, improvements to agency business processes; 
- Manage agency information resources to improve       the productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness of Federal programs       inclusive of information dissemination initiatives and efforts to reduce       information collection burdens; 
- Develop information technology and information       assurance requirements, completing cost/benefit analysis of proposed       solutions, managing projects in accordance with sound systems life cycle       management procedures and establishing performance standards and measures       to assess success of short and long term solutions; 
- Define and manage capital planning and       investment management processes to ensure their successful implementation       and integration with the Department's budget, acquisition and planning       processes; 
- Monitor the performance of the agency's       information technology and information assurance programs and investments,       evaluating them against performance and other applicable measures, and       advising the Secretary regarding their continuation, modification or       termination; 
- Assess information technology, information       assurance, and information management competencies defined for agency       personnel to ensure that Departmental employees are technologically       prepared to achieve the Department's strategic goals; 
- Manage the agency's Information Assurance       Program, developing agency-wide policy for the protection and control of       information; 
- Deploy and maintain all enterprise-wide       information technology; 
- Develop recommendations and implement       information technology solutions designed to enhance and enable agency       business processes; 
- Develop and provide technology standards to       ensure business alignment and promote a viable enterprise technology       framework; 
- Provide       administrative and technical support to the agency's Data Integrity Board       and monitor the Department's compliance with the Computer Matching and       Privacy Protection Act; 
- Manage the agency's       participation and implementation of Federal CIO Council Initiatives and       coordinate Council activities throughout the Department;
- Coordinate all eGov       Initiatives and their status reporting to the Office of Management and       Budget (OMB);
- Develop      and maintain an integrated Departmental accounting and financial       management system, including internal controls in accordance with the       Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 and the Federal Financial Management       Improvement Act of 1996;
- Establish       Departmental travel policy and procedures, administer and monitor the       agency’s travel system and program, and conduct training to ensure ED       compliance with the Federal Travel Regulations.