Department of Education

The Marvell-Elaine School District failed to find a satisfactory school district merger partner by a March 1 deadline, leaving the Arkansas Division of ...

State Board Chairman Ouida Newton of Leola proposed that the board’s April meeting be held in the Marvell-Elaine district. “It’s not easy for us or for them,” Smith told the Education Board at a meeting Thursday that was attended by Marvell-Elaine area residents and alumni of Phillip County area schools. Stacy Smith, deputy commissioner in the state agency, told the Education Board on Thursday that state leaders will have a recommendation on an administrative annexation of the Marvell-Elaine system to one or more other districts by the Education Board’s April 13 meeting.

The Education Department's forthcoming guidance on third-party servicers and OPMs is shining a spotlight on contracts created to expand online offerings.

Read More Podcast February 24, 2022 Title IX, DACA, Gainful Employment: New Rules Coming for Higher Ed News January 4, 2022 In good news for international students, the Department of State announced before the holiday break that consular offices would have more flexibility in determining non-immigrant intent for F-1 and M-1 student visa applicants Read More News January 4, 2022 Biden Administration Revises Regulations to Ease Entry for International Students News November 29, 2021 ACE and 45 other higher education associations have submitted sent comments to the Department of Homeland Security on the draft rules released in September to strengthen the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Read More Statement Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell on Final DACA Regulations News August 15, 2022 ACE and 23 other higher ed groups submitted comments to the Education Department on draft rules to enhance protections for defrauded borrowers, improve Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and make other revisions to student loan discharge regulations. Read More News September 19, 2022 How Colleges Can (and Can’t) Support 2022 Campaign Activities on Campus and Help Students Vote News September 12, 2022 The groups thank the department for its efforts to provide greater flexibility and urge additional clarity and flexibility to help colleges and universities fulfill the promise of the law. Read More News August 30, 2022 Final DACA Regulations Released by Biden Administration Statement We applaud this action by the Biden administration to preserve and fortify the existing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Read More News September 12, 2022 ACE, Other Groups Comment on Education Department Title IX Draft Rule News August 30, 2022 The Biden administration last week released the final version of regulations aiming to strengthen the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Read More News November 4, 2022 Education Department Issues Final Rules on Student Debt Relief, Other Programs Podcast September 29, 2022 Jon Fansmith and Terry Hartle are back to give their predictions for what Congress will dive into this fall before they adjourn ahead of midterm elections, including a continuing resolution to fund the government through the end of the year. Read More Podcast November 21, 2022 Midterm Election Aftermath News November 4, 2022 The Department of Education released final regulations on targeted student debt relief programs on Oct. Read More Podcast January 26, 2023 What the New Congress and Biden Administration Have in Store for Higher Ed in 2023 Webinar Listen to the last Public Policy Pop-Up of 2022. (Recording available.) Read More Webinar Public Policy Pop-Up: The Year in Higher Education Policy Podcast November 21, 2022 Terry Hartle and Jon Fansmith talk about what the midterm elections mean for higher education policy in the lame-duck session and beyond. Read More Statement February 28, 2023 Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell on Education Department Decision to Extend Third-Party Servicers Guidance Deadlines Podcast February 17, 2023 In this live episode, hosts Jon Fansmith and Sarah Spreitzer take audience questions on a range of topics, from the Education Department moving quickly on new regulations to the House hearing on the “crisis” in American education to ChatGPT. Read More Podcast February 17, 2023 dotEDU Live: New Rules from ED, Culture War Rhetoric Ramps Up, the End of the COVID Emergency, More News February 13, 2023 ACE and 29 other higher education associations have expressed their appreciation to the Department of Education for making “important and long overdue corrections” in its proposal to overhaul the student loan income-driven repayment plan. Read More News March 6, 2023 ACE, Higher Ed Groups Ask Again for Clarification on Foreign Gift and Contract Reporting Statement February 28, 2023 We appreciate the Department of Education’s response to the higher education community's concerns by extending the deadline for institutions to provide comments and report on arrangements with third-party servicers under its recently released guidance.

The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) has launched a new campaign, 'Teachers are the Real Influencers', to help combat the ongoing statewide ...

“Without our educators, we don’t have any of the other amazing professions.” He hopes with announcements like Governor Kay Ivey’s proposal to increase teachers’ starting salary, ‘Gen Z’ will consider a career that impacts all other aspects of the workforce. Be a teacher, you’ll get a lot of followers doing that.”

The future of state-funded education is at risk. The Oklahoma State Board of Education has terminated its sponsorship of Sovereign Community School.

At the board of education meeting in February, Walters mentioned a goal of his newly formed committee is to “advise and recommend guidance to local school systems on how to protect every student and parent’s freedom to worship,”. “With federal grant application deadlines looming, Oklahoma school superintendents are worried about having these critical dollars to continue to serve the needs of their students,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. If the school could find a sponsor, it could remain open. According to a memo from the agency’s general council, Sovereign lacked documentation to verify its finances and student attendance. In December, the board made a statement claiming the debt to be $500,000. He stated the reputation of the department and board has started to come into question. OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma – The Oklahoma State Board of Education voted to terminate its sponsorship of Sovereign Community School at the monthly meeting Jan. Charter school board president Kendra Wilson-Clements said her numbers aren’t adding up to the $500,000 the state mentioned. Sovereign is a charter school authorized by the State Board of Education that opened in 2019. The school did not meet criteria scores. The school’s revenue was not enough to maintain the staff that was hired. However, the charter school is public and non discriminatory.

Elizabeth Kasubke, fifth grade teacher at Bush Elementary; Summer Woodside, third grade teacher at Bartley Elementary; and Megan Kelsch, social studies teacher ...

The board unanimously voted to continue participating in the Missouri Educators Unified Health Plan and accept the renewal rates for all available plans. The total current cost for the website for the school year is $9,400. Bush Elementary and Fulton Middle School were the control groups for the district's work with the National Center for Rural School Mental Health. 11 students at the high school have been hospitalized for drug rehab, suicidal evaluation or depression. Nine students at the middle school have been hospitalized for suicidal evaluation, drug rehab or eating disorder. 21, eight students at the elementary schools have been hospitalized for behaviors or suicidal evaluation.

This situation prompted parents to stage a protest last week outside the gates of the school in Montclair. Parents claimed their children were experiencing ...

Department of Education spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said they were engaged in discussions with the South African Association for Special Education. Apparently, the Education Department provided the school with only one cook to prepare food for more than 600 children. Parents claimed their children were experiencing various problems at school due to a lack of provisions from the department.

The Biden-Harris Administration today released the President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2024. The budget details a blueprint to grow the economy from the ...

The request provides a $620 million increase over the FY 2023 enacted level. "As an educator and a father, I know that nothing unites America's families more than the hopes we share for our children, and that's why the Biden-Harris Administration is pushing for bold investments to ensure all students have equitable access to schools that welcome and support them, inspire their love of learning, and prepare them to succeed in whichever career they choose," said U.S. Our administration is also pushing for dramatic new investments in high-quality preschool that provide all our youngest learners with a sturdy bridge to elementary school success. The budget makes critical, targeted investments in the American people that will promote greater prosperity and economic growth for decades to come. The Biden-Harris budget also supports the Department of Education's efforts to boost global competitiveness by expanding opportunities for multilingual learning, redesigning high schools to include multiple pathways to college and career, and supercharging state and local efforts to make free community college a reality nationwide." The Biden-Harris Administration today released the President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2024.

WASHINGTON (March 10, 2023) – Today, The Education Trust released the following statement from Denise Forte, President and CEO…

Through our research and advocacy, Ed Trust supports efforts that expand excellence and equity in education from preschool through college, increase college access and completion particularly for underserved students, engage diverse communities dedicated to education equity, and increase political and public will to act on equity issues. The Education Trust is a national nonprofit that works to close opportunity gaps that disproportionately affect students of color and students from low-income families. It also shows the administration’s commitment to making higher education accessible and affordable through an $820 increase in the Pell Grant and continued investments in free community college, HBCUs, MSIs, and TCUs, and student success programs.

High-poverty schools and special education services would receive the largest K-12 funding portions under the plan. Published March 9, 2023 • Updated 11 ...

Supporting multilingual learners: The budget requests $1.2 billion for the English Language Acquisition program, an increase of $305 million, to help students learning English become proficient in English and academically successful. Enforcing civil rights: The budget plan also dedicates $178 million to the Office for Civil Rights, a 27% increase above fiscal 2023. [teacher shortage worsening](https://www.k12dive.com/news/teachers-increasingly-exiting-classroom/644454/) since the pandemic, the budget proposal aims to invest $3 billion in educator preparation, development and leadership, [according to the Education Department](https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/statement-us-secretary-education-miguel-cardona-presidents-fiscal-year-2024-budget?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=). Rodriguez said the budget would double community school funding for the third year in a row, if approved. Additionally, it would invest $200 million in the Career-Connected High Schools initiative by giving high school students more access to industry-backed credentialing, dual enrollment and work-based learning opportunities. There’s also a request to provide $13.1 billion — an increase of $1.1 billion — for Head Start's early education services for young children from low-income families. The proposal, which needs congressional approval, aims to improve academic success, the teacher pipeline, career readiness and global engagement, according to a press call Thursday with Education Department officials. “I’ve always believed every student deserves high expectations, and the same should go for Congress,” Cardona said. Department of Education — a 13.6% or $10.8 billion increase over current budget allocations. That includes $132 million for the Teacher Quality Partnership program — an increase of $62 million from FY23 — and $30 million for the Hawkins Centers of Excellence program — an increase of $15 million — to expand the number of prospective teachers and improve diversity of the teaching profession. Even amid a divided Congress, U.S. "Mr.

President Joe Biden laid out his budget blueprint for fiscal 2024 on Thursday, a plan that would infuse the U.S. Department of Education with $90 billion in ...

Policy experts have fretted about the FSA office’s finances, especially as it attempts to construct a simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators applauded the budget plan. OCR addresses students’ complaints of discrimination in federally funded K-12 schools and colleges and will likely be in the spotlight this year as the administration rolls out its proposed rule governing Title IX, which bans sex-based discrimination, including sexual violence, in schools. The president’s budget would bolster federal programs like TRIO and Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, or GEAR UP, which are both designed to shepard more low-income and historically disadvantaged students into college. However, lawmakers wrote off the initiative, which would have also made two years of a degree or credential at a community college free, including for immigrants without permanent legal status. This represents key financing as the administration reworks elements of the beleaguered student loan system and prepares to end a pandemic-era freeze on repayments. Biden has proposed sending more money directly to HBCUs and similar institutions as well — $429 million more than last year for institutional capacity. President Joe Biden laid out his budget blueprint for fiscal 2024 on Thursday, a plan that would infuse the U.S. Cardona called on Congress to enact it with states’ help, reinforcing Biden’s goal of starting federal-state partnership that would fund tuition-free community college. The regulation will direct how colleges must investigate and potentially punish sexual misconduct. The current maximum is $7,395. To that end, the spending plan features a pathway to double the maximum federal Pell Grant by 2029, a policy move college access organizations have demanded for years and the Biden administration has supported.

WASHINGTON — Jesselyn McCurdy, executive vice president of government affairs at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following ...

The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 220 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. We urge Congress to advance federal funding that protects people from discrimination and provides the programs and supports that people need.”

On his first day in office, the President signed a sweeping executive order directing the entire Federal government to advance an ambitious equity and ...

In addition, the Budget provides $120 million, an increase of $65 million above the 2023 enacted level, to the Office of Justice Programs for the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative to address the rape kit backlog, and for the Regional Sexual Assault Investigative Training Academies Program. The Budget requests $19.4 billion over 10 years for crime prevention strategies and affirms the President’s goal to provide $5 billion over 10 years for community violence interventions. The Budget proposes to expand and incentivize the use of evidence-based foster care prevention services to keep families safely together and reduce the number of children entering foster care. To better address the shortage of long-term affordable credit for development projects in disadvantaged communities and unlock up to $500 million in financing support, the Budget also includes a $10 million subsidy for the CDFI Fund’s Bond Guarantee Program. The Budget also provides EPA more than $4 billion for water infrastructure to advance efforts to upgrade drinking water and wastewater infrastructure nationwide, with a focus on decreasing health disparities in underserved and rural communities that have historically been overlooked. The Budget invests $16.8 billion in Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) grants to support special education and related services for more than seven million students with disabilities in grades Pre-K through 12, an increase of $2.1 billion above the 2023 enacted level. The Budget also provides $200 million for the new Sectoral Employment through Career Training for Occupational Readiness (SECTOR) program, which will support development and expansion of public-private partnerships to equitably deliver high-quality training in growing industries, and invests $100 million to help community colleges partner with employers and the public workforce system to design and deliver effective training models in communities across the Nation. The Budget provides $90 million to support State and local fair housing enforcement organizations and to further education, outreach, and training on rights and responsibilities under Federal fair housing laws. To bolster the health care workforce, the Budget provides a total of $966 million in 2024 to expand the National Health Service Corps, which provides loan repayment and scholarships to healthcare professionals in exchange for practicing in underserved areas, and a total of $350 million to expand programs that train and support the nursing workforce. The Budget also includes investments to improve the health of rural communities, including by helping rural hospitals stay open, expanding the pipeline of rural health care workers, and facilitating access to quality care. The Budget invests $850 million in the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative across HHS to aggressively reduce new HIV cases, increase access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (also known as PrEP), and ensure equitable access to services and supports for those living with HIV. The Budget invests $150 billion over 10 years to improve and expand Medicaid home and community-based services, such as personal care services, which would allow older Americans and individuals with disabilities to remain in their homes and stay active in their communities as well as improve the quality of jobs for home care workers.

By significantly increasing the funding to programs and services aimed directly at supporting community college student success, this budget is a strong ...

Additional funding for the Department of Education will support much-needed increases to the Pell Grant maximum and $500 million to implement two years of free community college for students enrolled in high-quality programs that lead to an advanced degree or a job. The Department of Labor will see an infusion of funding to increase the capacity of community colleges to provide skills training and education and further expand registered apprenticeships across business sectors. By significantly increasing the funding to programs and services aimed directly at supporting community college student success, this budget is a strong indicator of the value that the Biden administration places on community college education.

Biden and co. proposed a $2.7 billion budget for the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) with a specific interest on loans, aiming to update student loan ...

Grassley of Iowa, the top Republican on the Budget Committee, called the entire proposal “unserious” and a “ Colleges and universities will exclusively see $150 million of that to help hire out more mental health providers expand campus-wide strategies. Without proper infrastructure to support such an overhaul, students and borrowers will “bear the brunt.” Students who display need will be able to opt-in to up to two years of community college, supported by a $500 million discretionary grant program. The $90 billion runway is a $10.8 billion increase from its current level. The boost in funding is partly relative to Joe Biden’s student loan relief initiative held up in the U.S.

On Thursday, March 9^th, President Biden released the FY2024 Budget Proposal, amounting to $6.9 trillion. The budget is based on four key values: (1) ...

Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released its FY2024 budget proposal, detailing mandatory and discretionary spending. The Administration proposed an increase in funding for suicide research, prevention initiatives, and expansion of Veterans 988 Crisis Line. The proposal seeks to lower consumer costs for Medicare beneficiaries and require parity in coverage between medical and mental health services. Further, under Medicare Part D, the Administration is committed to cutting cost-sharing for high-value generic drugs used for chronic conditions to no more than $2. An additional $400 million is budgeted for grant and loan program, ReConnect, which would bring broadband connectivity to underserved areas and expand access to telehealth services to foster health equity. Moreover, the proposal includes $471 million to bolster maternal healthcare and expand maternal healthcare initiative in rural communities.

Biden's 2024 budget focuses on academic excellence, improving learning conditions, creating pathways for Global engagement, and making college affordable.

Equally beneficial is the increase of $429 million above the 2023 enacted level to HBCUs, TCCUs, MSIs, and under-resourced institutions, including community colleges. In addition, $368 million was to expand the Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) program in an effort to identify and integrate the wide range of community-based resources needed to support students and their families, more than doubling its previous $218 funding allocation. The proposal will invest in supporting mental health for students, improve learning conditions, and make postsecondary education inclusive and affordable— to close the opportunity and achievement gaps in high-poverty schools, $20.5 billion for Title I to help schools sustain programs that support students' academic recovery, which developers critical funding to 90% of district schools in the U.S—a $2.2 billion increase above 2023 enacted level. Certainly, Biden’s budget focus on making postsecondary education inclusive and affordable further adds funding for the Postsecondary Student Success Grants to support the systems development to enable students to access non-student aid public benefits with a $30 million allocation. With the ongoing teacher and paraprofessional shortage, Biden’s Budget invests $3 billion in educator preparation, development, and leadership, including $30 million for the Augustus F. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in a statement.

On Thursday, March 9th, President Biden released the FY2024 Budget Proposal, amounting to $6.9 trillion. The budget is based on four key values: (1) ...

Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released its FY2024 budget proposal, detailing mandatory and discretionary spending. The Administration proposed an increase in funding for suicide research, prevention initiatives, and expansion of Veterans 988 Crisis Line. The proposal seeks to lower consumer costs for Medicare beneficiaries and require parity in coverage between medical and mental health services. Further, under Medicare Part D, the Administration is committed to cutting cost-sharing for high-value generic drugs used for chronic conditions to no more than $2. An additional $400 million is budgeted for grant and loan program, ReConnect, which would bring broadband connectivity to underserved areas and expand access to telehealth services to foster health equity. Moreover, the proposal includes $471 million to bolster maternal healthcare and expand maternal healthcare initiative in rural communities.