Department of Education

Isaya S. waves out the window of a Seattle Public Schools bus while participating in the annual Seattle Pride Parade on June 25, 2023, in Seattle.
Isaya S. waves out the window of a Seattle Public Schools bus while participating in the annual Seattle Pride Parade on June 25, 2023, in Seattle.
Lindsey Wasson/AP
Federal A Flood of Public Feedback Has Delayed a Title IX Change Covering Trans Athletes—Again
The Biden administration has not taken the final step to adopt long-awaited Title IX changes that would explicitly protect LGBTQ+ students.
Libby Stanford, September 20, 2023
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5 min read
Students participate in a school archery program. A group of congressional lawmakers are working to amend federal law to ensure schools can purchase bow and arrows and other supplies for archery, sharp shooting, and hunting programs in schools.
Students participate in a school archery program. A group of congressional lawmakers are working to amend federal law to ensure schools can purchase bow and arrows and other supplies for school archery, sharp shooting, and hunting programs with federal education funds.
Courtesy of the National Archery in the Schools Program
Federal Is Funding for School Archery and Hunting Programs Really at Risk?
A U.S. Department of Education document led to confusion among school administrators about funding for archery and hunting programs.
Libby Stanford, September 18, 2023
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4 min read
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E+ / Getty
Equity & Diversity Race-Based Affinity Groups Should Be Open to All Students, Biden Admin. Tells Schools
In new guidance, the Education Department cites examples of school policies or programs that violate civil rights law.
Libby Stanford, August 29, 2023
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5 min read
Republican presidential candidates, from left, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum stand on stage before a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by FOX News Channel on Aug. 23, 2023, in Milwaukee.
Republican presidential candidates, from left, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum stand on stage before a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by FOX News Channel on Aug. 23, 2023, in Milwaukee.
Morry Gash/AP
Federal WATCH: 5 Key Takeaways on Education From the 1st GOP Presidential Debate
Among the highlights: take on the teachers' unions, scrap the Education Department, and boost reading.
Libby Stanford, August 24, 2023
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8 min read
The U.S. Department of Education, in Washington, D.C., pictured on February 21, 2021.
The U.S. Department of Education, in Washington, D.C., pictured on February 21, 2021. The office for civil rights within the federal Education Department is responsible for resolving complaints of discrimination and enforcing civil rights laws.
Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via AP Images
Equity & Diversity How a Federal Office Investigates and Resolves Discrimination Complaints Against Schools
What is OCR, how do you file a complaint, and what relief can it offer for students or staff whose civil rights may have been violated?
Eesha Pendharkar, August 16, 2023
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7 min read
People protest outside of the Supreme Court in Washington on June 29, 2023. The Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, declaring race cannot be a factor and forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies.
Demonstrators outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 29, the day the court struck down affirmative action in college admissions. The Biden administration on Aug. 14 issued guidance on other ways colleges to promote racial diversity.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
Law & Courts Biden Administration Outlines How Colleges Can Pursue Racial Diversity After Court Ruling
The U.S. Departments of Education and Justice say universities may partner with schools on outreach and recruitment of minority students.
Mark Walsh, August 14, 2023
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5 min read
Special Report Cybersecurity
Getty
Privacy & Security Biden Administration Announces Cybersecurity Initiative for K-12 Schools
K-12 schools have become a big target for hackers in recent years and the cyberattacks are more sophisticated than ever.
Lauraine Langreo, August 7, 2023
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4 min read
Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters presides over a special state Board of Education meeting discuss to the U.S. Department of Education's "Proposed Change to its Title IX Regulations on Students' Eligibility for Athletic Teams", Wednesday, April 12, 2023, in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma's superintendent of public instruction, Ryan Walters presides over a special state Board of Education meeting on April 12, 2023, in Oklahoma City to discuss the U.S. Department of Education's proposed changes to Title IX rules that would prohibit states from categorically banning transgender athletes from playing on teams that align with their gender identity. Walters was among four conservative state education chiefs who spoke at the national summit for the group Moms for Liberty on June 30.
Sue Ogrocki/AP
Federal Conservatives Renew Call to End U.S. Education Department at Moms for Liberty Summit
A panel of state schools chiefs criticized the federal agency at the summit in Philadelphia for policies that "indoctrinate" students.
Libby Stanford, July 5, 2023
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6 min read
Dennis K. Bordley, 6, right, one of the first two black children at a previously segregated all-white school, Caesar Rodney Elementary School in Camden-Wyoming, Del., strides along with hand in pocket on the way to first grade, Sept. 9, 1959.
Dennis K. Bordley, 6, right, one of the first two Black children at a previously segregated all-white school in Camden-Wyoming, Del., makes his way to 1st grade on Sept. 9, 1959. Public schools remain deeply segregated almost 70 years after the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed racial segregation.
Bill Ingraham/AP
Equity & Diversity Public Schools Are Still Segregated. But These Tools Can Help
Data show that racial and socioeconomic segregation persist, but districts may be able to seek federal help to address it.
Eesha Pendharkar, June 7, 2023
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4 min read
photograph of a magnifying glass on an open book
Valiantsin Suprunovich/iStock
Reading & Literacy A School District's Book Removals May Have Violated Students' Civil Rights
A Georgia district’s removal of books about LGBTQ+ and racial minorities may have violated students’ civil rights, OCR determined.
Eesha Pendharkar, May 26, 2023
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7 min read
Image of two women working together at a table.
fizkes/iStock/Getty
Student Achievement Biden Administration Wants College Students to Step In as K-12 Tutors
The Education Department released a letter encouraging colleges to let their students take work-study jobs as K-12 tutors.
Libby Stanford, May 10, 2023
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5 min read
Protesters at the Kentucky Capitol in Frankfort, Ky., on March 29, 2023. This year, the office of Civil Rights received more complaints of Title IX violations, the federal law that protects trans students, than any other kind of complaint.
Protesters of Kentucky Senate bill SB150, known as the Transgender Health Bill, cheer on speakers during a rally on the lawn of the Kentucky Capitol in Frankfort, Ky., on March 29, 2023. For fiscal year 2022, the U.S. Department of Education received 9,498 complaints alleging Title IX violations, the federal law that protects transgender students.
Timothy D. Easley/AP
Equity & Diversity The Ed. Dept. Received the Most Civil Rights Complaints in History Last Year
The Office of Civil Rights within the Department of Education received 18,804 complaints in 2022, but over 7,300 came from a single person.
Eesha Pendharkar, May 8, 2023
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4 min read
Miguel Cardona
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona is pictured in downtown Washington, D.C., on April 27, 2023. He discussed teacher pay and working conditions, artificial intelligence, and more in an interview with Education Week.
Courtesy of U.S. Department of Education
Teaching Profession Q&A Teachers Need More Than Just Pay Raises, Secretary Cardona Says
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona sat down with Education Week to talk about the teaching profession, AI, and students' mental health.
Libby Stanford, May 2, 2023
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7 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Federal Opinion 'A Nation at Risk' Turns 40: Its Roots, Its Legacy
Forty years ago, "A Nation at Risk" was issued—arguably the most influential report on schooling in U.S. history.
Rick Hess, April 24, 2023
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4 min read
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