Arne Duncan

November 12, 2009 -- U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today released the final application for more than $4 billion from the Race to the Top Fund, which will reward states that have raised student performance in the past and have the capacity to accelerate achievement gains with innovative reforms.

"The president said last week that Race to the Top will require states to take an all-hands-on-deck approach," Duncan said. "We will award grants to the states that have led the way in reform and will show the way for the rest of the country to follow."

The U.S. Department of Education is asking states to build comprehensive and coherent plans built around the four areas of reform outlined in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.    » read more »

November 9, 2009 -- Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that application requirements for the final $11.5 billion in State Fiscal Stabilization Funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 are now available. In exchange for this unprecedented funding boost, the department is asking states to provide some basic information on teacher distribution, the collection and use of data, standards and assessments, and support for struggling schools.    » read more »

November 4, 2009 -- Aboard Air Force One, En Route Madison, Wisconsin -- MR. EARNEST: Secretary Duncan is just going to provide an overview about the announcements today and answer a couple of questions that you guys have. A lot of the other stuff Gibbs covered in the gaggle today, so we're just going to stick to the policy stuff on Race to the Top.

SECRETARY DUNCAN: Any questions?

Q Do you want to just start with questions?

Q Can you give us an overview of --    » read more »

Application for Part 1 of Pennsylvania’s State Stabilization Funds Approved Today

November 2, 2009 -- U. S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that $1.4 billion is now available for Pennsylvania under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. This funding will lay the foundation for a generation of education reform and help save hundreds of thousands of teaching jobs at risk of state and local budget cuts. Pennsylvania will be eligible to apply for another $514,403,320 later this fall.

Today’s funding is being made available per Pennsylvania’s successful completion of Part 1 of the State Stabilization Application, which was made available on April 1.    » read more »

October 29, 2009 -- U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan issued the following statement on Mapping State Proficiency Standards onto NAEP Scales: 2005-2007, which the National Center for Education Statistics released today:

"Today's study confirms what we've known for a long time: States are setting the bar too low. In all but a few cases, states aren't expecting students to meet NAEP's standard of proficiency. Far too many states are telling students that they are proficient when they actually are performing below NAEP's basic level.    » read more »

October 15, 2009 -- Below are the prepared remarks that U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will deliver on Friday, Oct. 16, at the National Association of State Boards of Education in Cincinnati, Ohio:

It’s my pleasure to be here today. Thank you for rescheduling my speech. As you know, when the President calls and asks you to be with him on an important trip, you go.    » read more »

October 14, 2009 -- U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan issued the following statement on The Nation's Report Card: Mathematics 2009, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) at Grades 4 and 8:

“Today's results are evidence that we must better equip our schools to improve the knowledge and skills of America's students in mathematics. Our students have made real gains in math over the past two decades, but for the first time since NAEP's mathematics test started in 1990, student achievement in fourth grade has not improved. More must be done to narrow the troubling achievement gap that has persisted in mathematics, and to ensure that America's students make greater gains toward becoming competitive with their peers in other countries.    » read more »

Formula Funding Delivered to States

October 1, 2009 -- U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced today the distribution of more than $21.8 billion in formula grants to support state-administered programs that support teachers and help students reach high standards.

Formula grant programs are noncompetitive awards based on a predetermined formula and provide funding for a variety of programs, including resources to improve teacher quality, career and technical education, and support for children facing the challenges of living in poverty. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B grant program supports children and students with disabilities from ages 3 to 21.    » read more »

September 17, 2009 -- “Today, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to give America's college students the biggest increase in financial aid since the GI Bill. The bill will guarantee increases for the Pell Grant program for the 2010-11 year and beyond. It will overhaul federal student loans to make them more efficient while saving taxpayers billions of dollars over the next decade.

A share of the savings will also help reduce the deficit and promote high quality early childhood programs. It will support Historically Black Colleges and Universities, ensuring that these critically important institutions are integral to institutional improvement efforts at both the national and state levels.    » read more »

September 17, 2009 -- Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius praised progress made by Congress today as the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA), HR 3221, passed the U.S. House of Representatives.

The bill would move away from subsidizing private lenders to a direct loan program and reinvest nearly $90 billion in savings over the next 10 years into several initiatives, including the Early Learning Challenge Fund, which will be jointly administered by the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.    » read more »

August 27, 2009 -- The U.S. Department of Education has awarded more than $2.7 million to eight vocational education programs on Oahu and on the 'big island' of Hawaii to support career and technical education efforts helping Native Hawaiians. The grants are awarded under the Native Hawaiian Career and Technical Education Program (NHCTEP), which provides assistance to projects aimed at increasing vocational enrollment and course completion by Native Hawaiian students.

Five of the NHCTEP grants are being awarded to programs operated by ALU LIKE, Inc., the statewide non-profit service organization for Native Hawaiians.    » read more »

Secretary Duncan Announces $3.5 Billion in Title I School Improvement Grants to Fund Transformational Changes Where Children Have Long Been Underserved

August 26, 2009 -- Today, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced draft requirements for $3.5 billion in Title I School Improvement grants to turn around the nation's lowest performing schools.    » read more »

Income-based repayment available starting July 1

July 1, 2009 -- Starting July 1, a new repayment option is available that makes monthly payments more affordable for Americans with heavy federal student loan burdens. The new Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan protects borrowers by linking payments to income and family size. A related new program offers additional benefits to those working in public service jobs.

"We know many graduates are concerned about their ability to repay student loans in the current economic environment," said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "This new plan addresses the issue head on by giving them the option of a monthly payment tied to their income."    » read more »

June 23, 2009 -- Washington – Senators Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan and Congressman Earl Pomeroy announced today that North Dakota will receive more than $70 million in federal funding to give a boost to schools across the state that are at risk of teacher shortages and budget cuts.

“These funds will enable our schools to attract the best teachers and keep them on staff to ensure that North Dakota’s children continue to receive the quality education they need and deserve,” the delegation said.    » read more »

June 22, 2009 -- The U.S. Department of Education and its National Research Center for Career and Technical Education (NRCCTE) in Louisville, Ky., announced today the selection of five states to receive technical assistance from the center in developing green-focused "programs of study" in career and technical education.

The states are: Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, and Oregon.

"Green means healthier learning environments for students and adults, plus lower energy costs and a stronger economy," said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "Green programs of study support the administration's goal of expanding a green workforce by preparing students for high-skill, high-wage jobs in a clean energy economy."    » read more »