Mission & Responsibilities

Vision for Success

The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (OESE’s) long-term vision is Excellence and Equity for All Students.

Mission

OESE’s mission, our core purpose and focus, is to empower States, districts, and other organizations to meet the diverse needs of every student by providing leadership, technical assistance, and financial support. 

Core Values

OESE’s core values, the behaviors that form the cultural foundation for our office, are collaboration, accountability, diversity, integrity and excellence.  OESE recognizes that effective organizations are shaped by a few enduring values that, when widely shared, believed in and followed, shape our attitudes, decisions and actions.

Responsibilities

The Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education serves as a principal adviser to the Secretary of Education on everything related to elementary and secondary education. OESE is responsible for directing, coordinating, and recommending policy for programs designed to:

• Help State and local educational agencies improve the achievement of preschool, elementary, and secondary school students.
• Support equal access to services to help every child achieve. Congress has directed us to pay particular attention to children who are from low-income families, have disabilities or developmental delays, are educationally disadvantaged, or are English Learners, Native American, migrant, homeless, or in foster care.
• Advance educational improvement at the State and local levels.
• Provide financial assistance to local educational agencies whose local revenues are affected by Federal activities.