May 2012

U.S. Education Department Announces Resolution of Dearborn, Mich., Public Schools Civil Rights Investigation

The U.S. Department of Education announced today that its Office for Civil Rights has entered into a resolution agreement with the Dearborn, Mich., Public Schools to resolve a proactive enforcement action initiated at the district in April 2010.

Education Department Releases Proposal to Help Thousands of Disadvantaged Students Access College Through Savings Accounts

The U.S. Department of Education today announced that it will further help thousands of disadvantaged students access higher education through investing in college savings accounts.

92 New School Districts Selected for Project to Help More Students Complete the FAFSA and Access Higher Education

The U.S. Department of Education today announced that 92 additional school districts will now have access to individualized data to help their students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Obama Administration Approves Eight More States for NCLB Waivers

The Obama administration approved eight additional states for flexibility from key provisions of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in exchange for state-developed plans to prepare all students for college and career, focus aid on the neediest students, and support effective teaching and leadership. Today's announcement brings the number of states with waivers to 19.

Department Launches New $2 Million Pilot Program to Support State-Tribal Education Partnerships

The U.S. Department of Education today announced the launch of the “State-Tribal Education Partnership” – or STEP – pilot program, which will award $1.9 million in competitive grants to tribal education agencies (TEAs) to increase their role in the education of American Indian and Alaska Native students.

U.S. Department of Education Awards More Than $800,000 to Help Joplin School District Recover from 2011 Deadly Tornado

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Healthy Students, formerly the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, has awarded Joplin Schools in Joplin, Missouri, an Extended Services Project School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV) grant totaling $818,185 to continue assistance for ongoing recovery efforts following a deadly tornado that ripped through the state last year.

National Education Leaders Release Shared Vision for the Next Generation of Teaching During the 2012 Labor Management Conference

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joined seven fellow national education leaders today in signing a shared vision for the future of the teaching profession during the opening 2012 Labor Management Conference in Cincinnati.

District-Level Race to the Top to Focus on the Classroom, Provide Tools to Enhance Learning and Serve the Needs of Every Student

The U.S. Department of Education announced today proposed criteria for the 2012 Race to the Top program—a nearly $400 million competition that invites school districts to create plans for individualized classroom instruction aimed at closing achievement gaps and preparing each student for college and career.

Secretaries Duncan and Sebelius Remind Graduating Students of New Health Coverage Options Under Health Care Law

Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius are reaching out to campus leaders to remind graduating high school, college and university seniors about their new health insurance options under the Affordable Care Act – the health care law.

2012 Labor Management Conference to Showcase Local Work on Strengthening Teaching Profession

EDITOR’S NOTE: Updates list of participating school districts, states and presenters.

Statement by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today issued the following statement on enactment of Connecticut’s education reform measure, S.B. 458.

U.S. Department of Education Issues Resource Document that Discourages Restraint and Seclusion

Today, the U.S. Department of Education issued a publication that outlines principles for educators, parents and other stakeholders to consider when developing or refining policies and procedures to support positive behavioral interventions and avoid the use of restraint and seclusion.

Louisiana to Receive Over $10 Million to Turn Around Lowest-Performing Schools

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that Louisiana will receive $10.1 million to turn around its persistently lowest-achieving schools through the Education Department's School Improvement Grants (SIG) program.

Education Department Announces $254 Million for Upward Bound Projects to Help About 60,000 Students Access and Succeed in Higher Education

The U.S. Department of Education announced its first set of awards for 780 Upward Bound projects today, which will help close to 60,000 students acquire the knowledge and skills they need to access and succeed in college.

Statement by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress Science Assessment, Grade 8

Science test scores are slightly up, and the achievement gap is narrowing, and that’s good news. Today’s results offer encouraging signs that our nation’s eighth graders are improving in science education. And for the first time, all 50 states participated in the science assessment with no states showing a decline in science scores.

Secretary Duncan Makes Surprise Visit to Luke C. Moore High School in Honor of Teacher Appreciation Week

Editor's note: A school in your area is noted in the following release as part of Teacher Appreciation Week events organized by the U.S. Department of Education.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan surprised teachers and staff of D.C.’s Luke C. Moore High School with an unexpected visit this morning during their Teacher Appreciation Week breakfast celebration.

U.S. Department of Education Kicks-Off Teacher Appreciation Week with a National Dialogue on Strengthening and Elevating the Teaching Profession

A vision document for reforming the teaching profession created by active classroom teachers working temporarily for the U.S. Department of Education has been posted for public comment on the Department’s website today as part of Teacher Appreciation Week.

State-led Development of New Assessments Moves into High Gear State and Teacher Teams to Help Develop Sample Questions

The state-led effort to design new assessments aligned with college and career-ready standards moves into year two with an ambitious agenda that includes releasing sample questions and piloting the new assessments in select schools in the spring of 2013.

Secretary Duncan and Department Staff to Engage with Teachers During Week-long Celebration of the Teaching Profession

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Department staff will celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week with an array of events and outreach.

U.S. Education Department Reaches Agreement with Butler University to Resolve Title IX Athletics Compliance Review

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141 Students from Across the Country Named 2012 U.S. Presidential Scholars

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced the 48th class of Presidential Scholars, recognizing 141 high school seniors for their accomplishments in academics or the arts.

Education Department Awards $24.4 Million for 73 Grants to Promising Teacher Training Programs to Improve Classroom Instruction for English Learners

The U.S. Department of Education today announced the award of nearly $24.4 million for 73 grants to improve instruction for English learners. Located in 28 states and the District of Columbia, the grants support a variety of professional development activities for teachers and other educational personnel who work in in elementary and secondary school classrooms with English learners.

Statement from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on "School Turnarounds: Evidence from the 2009 Stimulus," a Paper by Thomas Dee, Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the University of Virginia

“A new and important study of school turnarounds by University of Virginia economist Thomas Dee provides the first rigorous evidence that the Department’s revamped School Improvement Grant (SIG) program is having a substantial impact on student achievement in struggling schools in California in just the first year of the program.