K-12 Education

Federal agencies work to ensure that more than 50 million preK-12 students have equal opportunity to receive a quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps, in accordance with federal laws. However, improving the academic outcomes, safety, and well-being of students remain a challenge. To help address these issues, the Departments of Education (Education), Health and Human Services (HHS), and Defense (DOD) should strengthen oversight of key programs and policies. 

For example: 

• Special education. Many children with disabilities are entitled to special education services tailored to their needs through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Under IDEA, states operate early intervention services to identify and serve children with disabilities. However, Education lacks the statutory authority to collect the demographic data of children throughout the enrollment process, which can hinder access to early intervention services for infants and toddlers who need it. For children in school, IDEA requires students with disabilities to be educated alongside their peers without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate. Nationally, the number of students with disabilities in general education classrooms for at least 40% of their day increased 25% from school year 2012–13 through school year 2023–24, but this varied widely by state. In addition, Education’s data showed that many students with disabilities attend schools without key personnel to support them. For example, in 2021–22, just 20% of public-school students with disabilities attended a school that had a social worker, school psychologist, school nurse, or counselor. However, gaps in data hinder Education’s ability to understand how other key special education resources—such as special education teachers, speech-language pathologists, and occupational therapists—are distributed among schools within a school district. Similarly, DOD schools also face challenges serving students with learning differences and special education needs. These challenges include screening students and training teachers to serve them. DOD schools also have staffing formulas for special education teachers that do not consider the required service minutes that students need. 

• Head Start. Head Start programs served nearly 790,000 young children in 2021-2022, but the number of low-income children eligible for services far exceeds that number. Almost all Head Start funding is allocated according to a congressionally mandated formula that doesn't account for changes in state population or poverty rates. As a result, Head Start has less flexibility to shift funding to areas most in need. Further, when an existing grant recipient can no longer operate Head Start programming, HHS designates an interim manager to oversee and administer services. However, HHS doesn’t always fully monitor the programs under interim management. Additionally, some Tribal Head Start programs have reported challenges with enrollment, such as trouble hiring and retaining staff.  

• Grants oversight. Billions of dollars in federal grants were provided to schools during COVID-19. Education oversaw states' efforts to meet grant requirements. However, unreliable and incomplete data prevented Education from knowing if states identified their poorest districts, as required by law. Moreover, in 2026, Education stopped monitoring important legal requirements that states must meet to receive billions in federal education funds. Without more oversight, these funds—nearly $27 billion in FY 2025—are at higher risk of fraud, waste, or abuse. 

• Professional development. Education provides more than $2 billion in grants each year to help support K-12 teacher professional development. While teacher professional development is generally associated with higher student test scores, research is mixed about which specific elements contribute to these higher scores. Most teachers surveyed, however, said collaborative learning opportunities with other teachers improved their teaching and their students' learning.  

• School improvement activities. America's lowest-performing schools receive extra support and more scrutiny as states, districts, school leaders, and staff try to turn these schools around. A school's location, size, and student characteristics—such as poverty—influence the odds of improvement. Six strategies, combined with effective leadership, are key to helping schools reach this goal. For example, schools can use data to measure changes in school culture and monitor improvements.  

• DOD schools. DOD’s 160 schools educate about 66,000 students. These schools are located on military installations around the world. In recent years, DOD has taken some steps to respond to rising student mental health concerns and unwanted sexual behavior among students. However, DOD’s mental health programs aren’t always available to students with the greatest need. Further, DOD has not monitored its efforts to close the gap in the number of clinicians with expertise needed to treat children with problematic behaviors. In addition, DOD operates the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps in over 3,400 public high schools. But allegations of sexual misconduct by JROTC instructors involving students have raised questions about the program.  

• Holocaust education. Holocaust education offers historical understanding and context for examining unchecked antisemitism. Under federal law, states can choose whether and how they teach holocaust education. 42 states and D.C. require Holocaust education through academic standards or state laws; the other 8 states don't require it but may support it in other ways, such as by providing guidance to teachers. State officials and teachers cited several challenges in supporting Holocaust education—including inadequate teacher professional development and insufficient instructional time.  

• Substance use prevention. Adolescents' use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco has declined nationally over the last decade, but remains a concern. In a national survey, 45 states and territories reported requiring schools to teach about at least 2 of these 3 substances; 6 did not have requirements to teach about specific substances; and 5 had no requirement to teach this topic at all.  

• School discipline. Education’s data from nearly every U.S. school district found that students' race and ethnicity, gender, and disability status mattered when it came to rates of arrest and referrals to police. For instance, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian/Alaska Native students were arrested at rates 2 to 3 times higher than those of White students. For boys in these groups who had a disability, arrest rates were even higher. Yet Education does not collect arrest and referral data by race for all students with disabilities. Additionally, among girls, Black girls faced more and harsher forms of discipline, even for similar infractions.