[United States Government Manual] [June 01, 2008] [Pages 201-208] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20202 Phone, 202-401-2000 or 800-872-5327 (toll free). TTY, 800-437-0833. Internet, www.ed.gov. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION Margaret Spellings Chief of Staff David Dunn Assistant Secretary for Lauren Maddox Communication and Outreach Assistant Secretary for Planning, Bill Evers Evaluation and Policy Development Director, Office of Educational Timothy J. Magner Technology General Counsel Kent Talbert Inspector General John P. Higgins, Jr. Director, Institute of Education Grover J. Whitehurst Sciences Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Johnson Monroe Chief Financial Officer Lawrence A. Warder Assistant Secretary for Management Chris Marston, Acting Assistant Secretary for Legislation (vacancy) and Congressional Affairs Director, Center for Faith-Based and Shayam K. Menon Community Initiatives Deputy Secretary Raymond Simon Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office Deborah Price of Safe and Drug-Free Schools Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office Doug Mesecar of Innovation and Improvement Assistant Secretary for Special Tracy Justesen Education and Rehabilitative Services Assistant Deputy Secretary and Margarita Pinkos Director, Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students Assistant Secretary for Elementary Kerri Briggs and Secondary Education Executive Director, White House Adam Chavarria Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans Under Secretary Sara Martinez Tucker Chief Operating Officer for Lawrence A. Warder, Federal Student Aid Acting [[Page 202]] Assistant Secretary for Diane Jones Postsecondary Education Assistant Secretary for Troy Justesen Vocational and Adult Education Executive Director, White House Leonard L. Haynes III Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities Executive Director, White House Anselm G. Davis, Jr. Initiative on Tribal Colleges and Universities ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Department of Education establishes policy for, administers, and coordinates most Federal assistance to education. Its mission is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the Nation. The Department of Education was created by the Department of Education Organization Act (20 U.S.C. 3411) and is administered under the supervision and direction of the Secretary of Education. Secretary The Secretary of Education advises the President on education plans, policies, and programs of the Federal Government and serves as the chief executive officer of the Department, coordinating and overseeing all Department activities, providing support and encouragement to States and localities on matters related to education, and focusing the resources of the Department and the attention of the country on ensuring equal access to education and promoting educational excellence throughout the Nation. Activities Institute of Education Sciences The Institute of Education Sciences was formally established by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002. The Institute includes national education centers focused on research, special education research, statistics, and evaluation, and is the mechanism through which the Department supports the research activities needed to improve education policy and practice. Elementary and Secondary Education The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education directs, coordinates, and formulates policy relating to early childhood, elementary, and secondary education. Included are grants and contracts to State educational agencies and local school districts, postsecondary schools, and nonprofit organizations for disadvantaged, migrant, and Indian children; enhancement of State student achievement assessment systems; improvement of reading instruction; impact aid; technology; and after-school learning programs. The Office also focuses on improving K-12 education, providing children with language and cognitive development, early reading, and other readiness skills and support, and improving the quality of teachers and other instructional staff. English Language Acquisition The Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students helps children who are limited in their English, including immigrant children and youth, attain English proficiency, develop high levels of academic attainment in English, and meet the same challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards that all children are expected to meet. Federal Student Aid Federal Student Aid partners with postsecondary schools and financial institutions to deliver programs and services that help students finance their education beyond high school. This includes administering postsecondary student financial assistance programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. The Title IV programs collectively represent the Nation's largest source of financial aid for postsecondary students, providing $73 billion in aid to over 10 million [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T214669.016 [[Page 204]] students attending more than 6,000 institutions in fiscal year 2005. Innovation and Improvement The Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII) oversees competitive grant programs that support innovations in the educational system and disseminates the lessons learned from these innovative practices. OII also helps coordinate policies related to parental options and choice. OII administers, coordinates, and recommends programs and policy for improving the quality of activities designed to support and test innovations throughout the K-12 system in areas such as parental choice, teacher quality, use of technology in education, and arts in education. OII encourages the establishment of charter schools through planning, start-up funding, and approaches to credit enhancement for charter school facilities. OII also encourages the expansion of parental options and information in the public schools through magnet schools, public school choice, and supplemental educational services, and by working with community organizations to inform parents of their school choice options. OII serves as the Department's liaison and resource to the nonpublic education community, oversees the Family Policy Compliance Office, and manages the Fund for the Improvement of Education. Postsecondary Education The Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) formulates Federal postsecondary education policy and administers programs that address critical national needs in support of their mission to increase access to quality postsecondary education. To increase access to postsecondary education, OPE develops policy for Federal student financial programs and support programs that reach out to low-income, first-generation college students and communities. OPE also supports programs that strengthen the capacity of colleges and universities serving a high percentage of disadvantaged students and improve teacher quality. OPE recognizes accrediting agencies that monitor academic quality, promote innovation in higher education, and improve and expand American educational resources for international studies and services. Safe and Drug-Free Schools The Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) administers, coordinates, and recommends policy for improving drug and violence prevention programs. OSDFS, in partnership with State and local educational agencies and public and private nonprofit organizations, supports and provides funding for efforts to create safe schools, respond to crises, prevent drug and alcohol abuse, ensure the health and well-being of students, and teach students good citizenship and character. The Office coordinates Department efforts in these areas with other Federal agencies and also leads the Department of Education's homeland security efforts. OSDFS also participates in the formulation and development of program policy, legislative proposals, and developing administration policies related to violence and drug prevention. The Office drafts program regulations, advises the Secretary on the formulation of comprehensive school health education policy, and develops a national research agenda with other Federal agencies. OSDFS also administers the Department's character, citizenship, and civic education programs. Special Education and Rehabilitative Services The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) provides leadership and resources to help ensure that people with disabilities have equal opportunities to learn, work, and live as fully integrated and contributing members of society. OSERS has three components. The Office of Special Education Programs administers the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act legislation, which helps States meet the early intervention and educational needs of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. The Rehabilitation Services Administration supports State vocational rehabilitation, independent living, and assistive technology programs that provide people with disabilities the services, technology, and job training and placement assistance they need to gain meaningful [[Page 205]] employment and lead independent lives. The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research supports research and development programs that improve the ability of individuals with disabilities to work and live in a barrier-free, inclusive society. OSERS supports Gallaudet University, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, the American Printing House for the Blind, and the Helen Keller National Center. Vocational and Adult Education The Office of Vocational and Adult Education administers grant, contract, and technical assistance programs for vocational-technical education and for adult education and literacy. Regional Offices Each regional office serves as a center for the dissemination of information and provides technical assistance to State and local educational agencies and other institutions and individuals interested in Federal educational activities. Offices are located in Boston, MA; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Kansas City, MO; Denver, CO; San Francisco, CA; and Seattle, WA. Federally Aided Corporations American Printing House for the Blind P.O. Box 6085, Louisville, KY 40206 Phone, 502-895-2405. Internet, www.aph.org. President Tuck Tinsley III Chairman of the Board W. James Lintner, Jr. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Founded in 1858 as a nonprofit organization, the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) received its Federal charter in 1879 when Congress passed the Act to promote Education of the Blind. This Act designates APH as the official supplier of educational materials adapted for students who are legally blind and who are enrolled in formal educational programs below the college level. Materials produced and distributed by APH include textbooks in Braille and large type, educational tools such as Braille typewriters and microcomputer software and hardware, teaching aides such as tests and performance measures, and other special supplies. The materials are distributed through allotments to the States to programs serving individuals who are blind. For further information, contact the American Printing House for the Blind, P.O. Box 6085, Louisville, KY 40206. Phone, 502-895-2405. Internet, www.aph.org. Gallaudet University 800 Florida Avenue NE., Washington, DC 20002 Phone, 202-651-5000. Internet, www.gallaudet.edu. President, Gallaudet University Robert R. Davila Chair, Board of Trustees Pamela Holmes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Gallaudet University received its Federal charter in 1864 and is currently authorized by the Education of the Deaf Act of 1986, as amended. Gallaudet is a private, nonprofit education institution providing elementary, secondary, undergraduate, and continuing education programs for persons who are deaf. The [[Page 206]] University offers a traditional liberal arts curriculum for students who are deaf, and graduate programs in fields related to deafness for students who are deaf and students who are hearing. Gallaudet also conducts a wide variety of basic and applied deafness research and provides public service programs for persons who are deaf and for professionals who work with persons who are deaf. Gallaudet University is accredited by a number of accrediting bodies, among which are the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, and the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf. Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center Gallaudet's Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center operates elementary and secondary education programs that are federally funded, on the main campus of the University--the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School and the Model Secondary School for the Deaf. These programs are authorized by the Education of the Deaf Act of 1986 (20 U.S.C. 4304, as amended) for the primary purpose of developing, evaluating, and disseminating model curricula, instructional techniques and strategies, and materials that can be used in a variety of educational environments serving individuals throughout the Nation who are deaf or hard of hearing. The Education of the Deaf Act requires the programs to include students preparing for postsecondary opportunities other than college and students with a broad spectrum of needs, such as students who are lower achieving academically, come from non-English-speaking homes, have secondary disabilities, are members of minority groups, or are from rural areas. Model Secondary School for the Deaf The school was established by act of October 15, 1966 (20 U.S.C. 693), which was superseded by the Education of the Deaf Act of 1986. The school provides day and residential facilities for secondary-age students from across the United States from grades 9 to 12, inclusively. Kendall Demonstration Elementary School The school became the Nation's first demonstration elementary school for the deaf by act of December 24, 1970 (20 U.S.C. 695). This act was superseded by the Education of the Deaf Act of 1986. The school is a day program for students from the Washington, DC, metropolitan area from the age of onset of deafness to age 15, inclusively, but not beyond the eighth grade or its equivalent. For further information, contact the Public Relations Office, Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Avenue NE., Washington, DC 20002. Phone, 202- 651-5505. Internet, www.gallaudet.edu. Howard University 2400 Sixth Street NW., Washington, DC 20059 Phone, 202-806-6100. Internet, www.howard.edu. President H. Patrick Swygert ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Howard University was established by act of March 2, 1867 (14 Stat. 438). It offers instruction in 12 schools and colleges, as follows: the colleges of arts and sciences; dentistry; engineering, architecture, and computer sciences; medicine; pharmacy, nursing, and allied health sciences; the graduate school; the schools of business; communications; divinity; education; law; and social work. In addition, Howard University has research institutes, centers, and special programs in the following areas: cancer, child development, computational science and engineering, international affairs, sickle cell disease, [[Page 207]] and the national human genome project. For further information, contact the Office of University Communications, Howard University, 2400 Sixth Street NW., Washington, DC 20059. Phone, 202-806-0970. Internet, www.howard.edu. National Institute for Literacy 1775 I Street NW., Suite 730, Washington, DC 20006 Phone, 202-233-2025 Director Sandra L. Baxter ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The National Institute for Literacy provides leadership on literacy issues, including the improvement of reading instruction for children, youth, and adults. The Institute serves as a national resource on current and comprehensive literacy research, practice, and policy. National Technical Institute for the Deaf/ Rochester Institute of Technology 52 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623 Phone, 716-475-6853 (voice/TDD). Internet, www.ntid.edu. President, Rochester Institute of Technology William W. Destler Vice President, National Technical Institute for T. Alan Hurwitz the Deaf ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) was established by act of June 8, 1965 (20 U.S.C. 681) to promote the employment of persons who are deaf, by providing technical and professional education. The National Technical Institute for the Deaf Act was superseded by the Education of the Deaf Act of 1986 (20 U.S.C. 4431, as amended). The U.S. Department of Education maintains a contract with the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) for the operation of a residential facility for postsecondary technical training and education for individuals who are deaf. The purpose of the special relationship with the host institution is to give NTID's faculty and students access to more facilities, institutional services, and career preparation options than could be otherwise provided by a national technical institute for the deaf standing alone. NTID offers a variety of technical programs at the certificate, diploma, and associate degree levels. Degree programs include majors in business, engineering, science, and visual communications. In addition, NTID students may participate in approximately 200 educational programs available through the Rochester Institute of Technology. Students who are deaf that enroll in NTID or RIT programs are provided a wide range of support services and special programs to assist them in preparing for their careers, including tutoring, counseling, interpreting, specialized educational media, cooperative work experience, and specialized job placement. RIT and NTID are both accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. NTID also conducts applied research in occupational- and employment- [[Page 208]] related aspects of deafness, communication assessment, demographics of NTID's target population, and learning processes in postsecondary education. In addition, NTID conducts training workshops and seminars related to deafness. These workshops and seminars are offered to professionals throughout the Nation who employ, work with, teach, or otherwise serve persons who are deaf. For further information, contact the Rochester Institute of Technology, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Department of Recruitment and Admissions, Lyndon Baines Johnson Building, 52 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623-5604. Phone, 716-475-6700. Internet, www.ntid.edu. Sources of Information Inquiries on the following information may be directed to the specified office, Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20202. Contracts and Small Business Activities Call or write the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. Phone, 202-245-6301. Employment Inquiries and applications for employment, and inquiries regarding the college recruitment program, should be directed to the Human Resources Group. Phone, 202-401-0553. Organization Contact the Executive Office, Office of Management. Phone, 202-401-0690. TDD, 202-260-8956. For further information, contact the Information Resources Center, Department of Education, Room 5E248 (FB-6), 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20202. Phone, 800-USA-LEARN. Internet, www.ed.gov.