- In the United States, public education is largely the responsibility of the individual states. Considered a local issue, few Americans received formal education until reform movements in the mid-1800s suggested that universal education would create better citizens and help to reduce social problems. By the end of the 19th century, many states enacted compulsory attendance laws, at least through the elementary grades. Even today, however, public education remains largely decentralized.
- The first federal Department of Education, created in 1867, was charged to collect information about education policies and practices in each of the states and to make that information available to educators. That responsibility continues to the present day. The modern department was pulled out of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare and re-created in 1980 from several existing agencies as a Cabinet-level department to "promote educational excellence for all Americans." The Department takes the lead in the ongoing discussion about improving educational outcomes throughout the country.
- Several acts at the federal level made the Office of Education responsible for funding higher education in land-grand universities and for funding vocational educational programs. Today, management of the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is a function of the U.S. Department of Education. Many college scholarships and grants require that the applicant completes this document in order to determine eligibility.
- Since World War II, events on national and international levels have driven the purpose of the Department. Increasing concern over the Cold War led Congress to pass the National Defense Education Act in 1958 to improve education in science, mathematics and foreign languages. The Civil Rights movement of the 1960s forced the Department to address issues of discrimination and equal access. Most recently, the No Child Left Behind Act has become one of the most talked-about educational measures in recent history, in part because it allows the federal government to become involved in public education curriculum for the first time.
- In its role as a compiler of information about education, the Department publishes many reports and brochures for educators, parents and students. Many of these are free for download on the Department's website. In addition, the Department funds research projects related to education.
