State Education Data Profiles

Provides state data as compared to the national average with respect to number and types of schools, student enrollment by race/ethnicity and other factors, data on school performance and school improvement status, and information on student performance and outcomes, including high school graduation rates and other relevant information.

Administration Initiatives (MSWord)

Includes a brief description of the Administration's initiatives in the 111th Congress as well as information on funding requests.

Secretary Duncan's speeches on the four assurance areas:

1. Data to Inform Instruction and Education Policy Decisions: Remarks at the fourth annual conference of the Institute of Education Sciences, June 8, 2009:
   
   "Education reform is not about sweeping mandates or grand gestures. It's about systematically examining and learning, building on what we've done right, and scrapping what hasn't worked for kids."

2. Imperative World Class Standards and Assessments: Remarks at the 2009 Governor's Education: Symposium June 14, 2009
   
   "Today, our standards are too low—and the results on international tests show it. Worse yet , we see the signals in the international economy as more and more engineers, doctors, science and math PHD's come from abroad."

3. Turning Around Low-Performing Schools: Remarks at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, June 22, 2009
   
   "We've seen traditional public schools where creative and dedicated educators built strong teams, boosted parental involvement, and raised student achievement. We've seen it in charter schools where gutsy entrepreneurs abandoned lucrative careers, staked a claim in struggling communities—and now they're producing miracles."

4. Recruiting and Retaining Effective Teachers: Remarks to the National Education Association—Partners in Reform, July 2, 2009:
   
   "We believe it is our moral obligation to give children the very best education possible. We believe every child can learn and every school can succeed. We believe teaching is a profession and good teachers and principals are essential to success."

Helpful ARRA Information

Fact Sheets and Notices of ARRA Programs:

• Overview of the Recovery Act
• Recovery Act Education Programs
• State by State ARRA Spending Report
• State Fiscal Stabilization Fund Applications

Access and Affordability to Higher Education

• Federal Student Aid: Income-Based Repayment Plan (PDF)
• Link to Income-Based Repayment plan calculator
• Simplify FAFSA document (MSWord)

H1N1 Flu Season Guidance