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The article discusses a report by the U.S. Education Department's Inspector General concerning fraud and abuse in charter schools. The report notes that from 2005 to 2010, there have been 40 criminal investigations and 15 convictions for embezzlement by charter school officials. Accusations were for inflating enrollment figures and grades to increase funding, which were used for personal expenses. It notes the centrality of charters in the reform efforts of U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

The article announces that Delaware and Tennessee were the winners in the first phase of the U.S. Education Department's Race to the Top Fund competition. The two states advanced past 14 other finalists for the awards. Delaware will receive approximately $100 million and Tennessee will receive approximately $500 million to implement their comprehensive reform plans.

The article presents information on the U.S. Department of Education's Investing in Innovation (i3) Fund, a school reform initiative which is part of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009. It focuses on the publication of the application form and the rules which are to govern the administration of the i3 grants.

The article reports on the announcement by the U.S. Education Department that 15 U.S. states and the District of Columbia are finalists for the first round of funding in the Race to the Top grant competition. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan noted that those states which weren't chosen as finalists in this round can reapply in the second round. The application by the state of California, which wasn't chosen as a finalist, is discussed.

The article discusses how charter schools became a core element of the U.S. Education Department's turnaround strategy for low-performing schools in the year 2009. The response from the National Education Association and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools to the department's strategy is explored. The demand for and growth of charter schools throughout the U.S. and the uncertain student outcomes of charter schools are discussed.

The article reports that the U.S. Education Department has awarded more than 12.4 million dollars in Foreign Language Assistance Program grants that will be used in elementary and secondary schools in 24 U.S. states and the District of Columbia to expand programs in Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese languages. How the grants are dispersed among local education agencies is noted. The distance learning programs and the professional development that the grants will be used for are discussed.

The article discusses how the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium and the Association for Career and Technical Education are advocating that the U.S. Dept. of Education include career and technical education in the Race to the Top Fund (RTF) which provides education grants. It outlines the Dept. of Education's guidelines on how states must apply for grants and language that the two groups would like incorporated into the guidelines.

The article discusses public comments on the U.S. Education Department's guidance on the Race to the Top Fund, which include that states adopt the Common Core standards by 2010. State leaders generally were supportive of the standards initiative but said that the 2010 deadline for implementing them was unrealistic. Race to the Top Fund director Joanne Weiss indicated states may be permitted to document their efforts at implementation.

The article discusses a report by the U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics showing U.S. students trailing their international peers. It cites scores from international tests on reading literacy, mathematics and science showing U.S. students ranking behind students in Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, England and Latvia. Education Secretary Arne Duncan pointed to the effort to create common standards as a goal for addressing the problem.

The article discusses a plan put forth by Education Secretary Arne Duncan for turning around failing schools by changing education culture. Options outlined include awarding planning grants to allow principals to develop curriculum in the fall, recruit teachers in the spring and take over a failing school in June, awarding of contracts to charter or for-profit management organizations, changing of school rules for existing staff, or closing a school and re-enrolling students at better schools.

The article discusses a meeting that was held between U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and educational advocacy organizations and think tanks. Comments that Duncan made during the meeting regarding the way in which the U.S. government should be held accountable for education in the U.S. are presented. Concerns that were expressed at the meeting regarding actions that have been taken by the U.S. Education Dept. are mentioned.

The article reports on the progressive backgrounds of senior staff appointments and nominations to the U.S. Department of Education by Education Secretary Arne Duncan. Educational advocacy organizations from which which administration recruits are being drawn include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Education Trust-West, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, and others.

The article discusses a decision by the U.S. Education Department that stipulates when incarcerated young people can and cannot be counted towards a school's graduation rate calculations. It is believed that the guidelines will encourage schools and juvenile justice agencies to work together to ensure that students graduate. Joyce Burrell of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services says that such collaboration is not used.

The article discusses personnel changes to the U.S. Department of Education under the leadership of education secretary Arne Duncan. The author discusses how some personnel will remain in place until Duncan's appointees are confirmed and notes that officials such as assistant general counsel Phil Rosenfelt and deputy inspector general Mary Mitchelson have been temporarily promoted. He suggests there may be changes to the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

The article presents a discussion of Margaret Spellings' tenure as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. Her leading role in implementing the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is emphasized. Spellings is quoted discussing the importance of communicating the need for educational reform to the American public. Comments by some admirers and critics are also presented.

The article reports that many urban educators and analysts believe that electing an urban superintendent to be the next education secretary would bring attention to the need for improving urban schools. The article cites Tim Quinn, the managing director of The Broad Superintendents Academy. One of the candidates discussed for the position is Arne Duncan, the Chicago Public Schools Chief Executive Officer.

The article reports that, according to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, the average rate of on-time high school graduation has decreased in both 2005 and 2006. Information was gathered from the report "Public School Graduates and Dropouts From the Common Core of Data: School year 2005-06." The author notes that data used was measured against the standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act.

The article discusses the dismissal of the complaint filed by the state of Connecticut against the U.S. Education Department (ED) regarding unfunded mandates provision. The state of Connecticut claims the ED has unfairly denied their proposed changes to testing rules. The U.S. District Court of Connecticut found that the decision of the ED denying the proposals of the state is consistent with statute and regulations. The court also cited the failure of the state to present their claim to the ED during the administrative proceedings.

The article focuses on the implementation of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and its framework for assessing English-language learners (ELLs). It explains that several states have volunteered to participate in the evaluation, including Colorado, Indiana, and Michigan, and the ED will provide technical support. Comments from state officials on what they hope to gain from participating in the assessment are also included.

The article reports that the U.S. Education Department's Office of Innovation and Improvement is accepting applications for a charter schools grant competition for the 2010 fiscal year. According to the article, the Charter Schools Program Grants for Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools are designed to expand the number of high-quality charter schools by offering financial assistance for expansion of charter schools. Applicant requirements and deadline information are given.

The article reports on the U.S. Department of Education's Race to the Top Fund, a $4.35 billion fund designed to improve American schools. Grant application information was expected to be published in November 2009. Education Department General Counsel Charles Rose is quoted discussing the fund at a meeting with students.

The article discusses the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama and the appointment of positions in the U.S. Education Department. Obama has begun work on initiatives for changing education policy in the U.S. but has been slow to fill certain key positions within the Education Department. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced the appointment of Peter Groff, Colorado state Senator, to the director of the Education Department's Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

This article focuses on the economic stimulus package in the U.S. and education. The proposed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes $145 billion to be allotted to education programs and be administered by the U.S. Education Department. Educators stress the importance of these funds as many schools have been affected by the economic state in the U.S.

The article presents information on the U.S. Department of Education during 2008, focusing on the appointment and departure of various officials. It is noted that the tenure of Margaret Spellings as Secretary of Education will end with the administration of President George W. Bush. The term of Assistant Secretary Kerri Briggs ends in January 2009, and Doug Mesecar, who was appointed assistant deputy secretary in February 2008, stepped down in November 2008 to take a job in the private sector.

This article reports on the impact of federal regulations issued by U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings regarding student tracking and graduation rates. Spellings believes that more accurate reporting of graduation rates will spur progress on anti-dropout initiatives. She also contends the changes will increase transparency.

This article reports research on high school dropouts that indicates academic performance in the ninth grade is particularly important. According to U.S. Education Department data, more than 1.2 million students drop out of high school each year. Jessica Heppen, deputy director of the National High School Center, says that more student fail ninth grade than any other.

The article discusses a lawsuit that has been filed by the state of Arizona against the U.S. Department of Education. The department has labeled many state schools as failing because the English language learner (ELL) population does not perform well on the state's standardized tests. Peter A. Zamora of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund sees the lawsuit as a way for the state to sidestep educating ELLs.

The article discusses a 2008 study from George Mason University evaluating public reporting by federal agencies, including the U.S. Education Department. The Department was ranked in the middle of all agencies evaluated, citing needed improvement in the Department's reporting of achievements as related to targets, causality of federal efforts, and costs as applied to results. It notes that overall, federal departments are improving their communication.

The article discusses a study showing that small schools may not provide a better education. The article describes how a study by the U.S. Department of Education found that small schools had difficulty recruiting math and science teachers even though the schools had less violence, greater participation in extracurricular activities, and greater desire among students to attend college. The article explains how the study was based on the Smaller Learning Communities Program.