Despite its long history, there are a lot of misunderstandings about the role of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and how it affects kids in school and college. At the top of the list of misconceptions is the idea that the education department decides what schools can and cannot teach. But experts say curriculum is decided at the state level, not by the federal government.
“Think of the Department of Education as the nation’s education rulebook keeper,” says Lisa Lightner, a special education advocate with A Day in Our Shoes, LLC. “It oversees federal education laws, like the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), which protects students with disabilities, manages funding, and ensures states follow federal regulations. But—and this is a big but—it does not control local school districts.”
If you are uncertain what the ED does, you’re certainly not alone. To help you make sense of the Department of Education’s responsibilities, we asked education experts and advocates to weigh in on its role in education and how it impacts your child’s school.
The ED’s Impact on Low-Income Communities
The department provides funds to school districts in low-income areas through Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), says Gail Belsky, associate editorial director at Understood, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people with thinking and learning differences. This funding goes toward improving achievement of students in danger of failing and to improving school-wide programs for all students, she says.
Congress sets the amount of federal money that goes to the department. In 2023, they received more than $18 billion for Title I. These funds help schools in low-income areas get more resources, adds Lightner. “Most people don’t know this, but half of all U.S. schools receive Title I funding, and 40% of those schools are rural. It’s a myth that it’s always schools in cities.”
What’s more, this Title I funding supports 26 million students, says Naomi Shelton, CEO of the National Charter Collaborative. “This funding helps to level the playing field and provides resources that many underfunded communities simply couldn’t generate locally.”
For many schools serving vulnerable students, federal funding represents a significant portion of their budget, adds Shelton. “In fact, in six states—Alaska, Montana, South Dakota, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Kentucky—more than 20% of the education budget comes from the federal government. Without these funds, states would struggle to support their most vulnerable students, leading to larger class sizes, fewer resources, and greater disparities in academic achievement.”
The ED’s Impact on Students with Disabilities
The ED also plays a critical role for students with disabilities, says Robyn Linscott, an advocate, policy professional, and director of education and family policy at The Arc. The department oversees the disbursement of funds from IDEA and helps train special education teachers.
The ED also researches methods that support students with disabilities within the classroom, and is an enforcement mechanism when school districts are not meeting a student’s rights under IDEA or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, adds Linscott.
“The law ensures that students with disabilities get the services they need, and that they receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE),” adds Belksy. “Along with K–12, IDEA funds early intervention services for infants and toddlers.”
What About IEPs?
A common question is whether or not the ED is in charge of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Belsky points out that it isn’t. “The federal government doesn’t create or run IEPs. That happens at the local level. But the department is responsible—along with state and local governments—for making sure schools are following IEPs.”
That said, the ED’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) historically investigated parents’ complaints of discrimination by schools. But the department recently laid off half its employees, including half of the OCR workforce, says Belsky. “Most of the staff that was let go are attorneys in charge of these investigations.”
How the ED Protects Against Race or Gender-Based Discrimination
The OCR, which is located within the ED, was also responsible for enforcing federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, and age in schools and programs receiving federal funding. But gender identity and sexual orientation are no longer included in these protections as of January 2025.
That said, OCR’s work impacts 79 million people across the U.S. through investigations, policy guidance, and training, points out Shelton. In just the last few years, she says the OCR received nearly 70,000 complaints and resolved more than 55,000 of them, which demonstrates the significant need for civil rights protection in education.
Without the ED, and specifically the OCR, no other federal agency would have the protection of students’ civil rights as its core mission, says Shelton.
The Role of ED and College Financial Aid
Along with K-12 funding, the ED also provides loans and grants, like Pell Grants, to college students with financial need. It also provides federal work-study programs and gives grants to colleges.
“The [department] makes higher education possible for millions of Americans who would otherwise be unable to afford it,” says Shelton. “Through Pell Grants and other financial aid programs, [they] help 87 million students and parents pay for college costs.”
ED also provides significant support to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and other minority-serving institutions that create pathways to higher education for underrepresented students, says Shelton.
Naomi Shelton
For many students…federal financial aid is critical to ensuring they can pursue college and career pathways. Programs like GEAR UP and TRIO, funded by ED, prepare first-generation students for college success.
— Naomi Shelton
Without the ED, college would be less accessible for millions of students, she adds, further widening economic inequality and limiting our nation’s talent pool.
How the ED Keeps Track of Educational Progress in the U.S.
The ED plays a critical role in tracking and analyzing national education data through agencies like the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), says Shelton. “This data is essential for identifying achievement gaps, tracking graduation rates, and evaluating educational equity.”
This process allows the department to ensure that educational inequities are made visible and can be addressed, she says. “The [department] began tracking disaggregated data by race in a formal and structured manner following the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Over time, the tracking requirements have become more explicit.”
They also collect data on student achievement, graduation rates, and educational equity indicators, she says. This information helps policymakers, educators, and community leaders make informed decisions about educational interventions and resource allocation.
“[For instance], we know that students with learning disabilities have worse outcomes than their non disabled peers—lower graduation rates, higher unemployment as adults, high rates of bullying, [and] high rates of school suspensions,” says Lightner. “So collecting all this data is essential to improve outcomes.”
Does the ED Control What’s Taught in Schools?
Perhaps the biggest misconception about the ED is that it influences school curriculum. But, according to education experts this is not true. What is taught in your child’s school is decided by state lawmakers as well as local school boards.
“Let’s be clear: ED does not control curriculum or what is taught in schools,” says Linscott. “In fact, it is prohibited by statute for it to dictate curriculum for schools. ED also does not dictate graduation requirements or teacher training requirements. If people are concerned about what is being taught in their schools, it is an issue to bring up with their school district and their state.”
In other words, ED provides resources, protects civil rights, and ensures accountability, but decisions about curriculum, textbooks, teaching methods, and specific content are made at the state and local levels, often with significant input from local school boards, administrators, teachers, and in many cases parents as well, says Shelton.
Lisa Lightner
Implementation of public education has always been up to states and local school boards for at least for 51 years.
— Lisa Lightner
“We have a federal law, the General Education Provisions Act of 1974, or GEPA,” explains Lightner. “This federal statute explicitly prohibits the federal government from implementing, requiring, or demanding a specific curriculum. It also prohibits the federal government from requiring a district to remove a specific program.”
