U.S. Department of Education FY 2022 Annual Performance PlanThe FY 2022 Annual Performance Plan (i.e., fiscal year (FY) 2022 APP) is required by the Government Performance and Results Act Modernization Act of 2010, and guidance for its development is provided by the Office of Management and Budget’s Circular No. A-11, Part 6. The U.S. Department of Education’s Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2018–22 established the four Strategic Goals that are highlighted in this FY 2022 APP. The Department is currently developing its FY 2022–2026 Strategic Plan, to be published in February 2022, which will introduce Strategic Goals and objectives and performance indicators that will be used to assess progress toward this Administration’s priorities. This FY 2022 APP includes strategies and activities that advance the Administration’s priorities, such as supporting underserved students; helping meet the needs of high-poverty schools and students with disabilities; promoting equity in education, including through civil rights enforcement; and expanding access to college. The activities and strategies in this FY 2022 APP will lay the foundation to address both the aforementioned priorities and seek to advance the Department’s Strategic Goals. Also included in this FY 2022 APP are selected key performance measures that are used as indicators of the Department’s progress toward its Strategic Goals and objectives. U.S. Department of EducationED_5065b007-b4e6-4bb4-ad90-d449604963dcThe Department promotes equity and accomplishes its mission by administering programs that support services from early intervention to employment training programs. Many of these programs provide grants to states or local educational agencies (LEAs) and support underserved students and families from vulnerable populations. These programs also provide grants and loans to postsecondary students and facilitate research that examines ways that states, schools, districts, and postsecondary institutions can improve America’s education system. In addition, the Department fulfills its mission through the vigorous enforcement of civil rights laws that provide equal access to programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance from the Department.Miguel A. Cardona, Ed.D.Secretary of Education StatesThe Department is responsible for helping states, school districts, and institutions of higher education provide high-quality education to all of the nation’s students, especially those who are the most vulnerable and face the greatest barriers. School DistrictsInstitutions of Higher EducationEducational excellence with equal access_7d25b270-f696-11ec-8837-fa360d83ea00To promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access_7d25b46e-f696-11ec-8837-fa360d83ea00EducationExcellenceAccessEqualityCompetitionEfficiencyEffectivenessAccountabilityLearning OutcomesSupport state and local efforts to improve learning outcomes for all P–12 students in every community._7d25b568-f696-11ec-8837-fa360d83ea001Assistant Secretary, Office of Elementary and Secondary EducationGoal LeaderSupportive OfficesSeveral offices across the Department support Goal 1, including the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; the Office for Civil Rights; the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education; the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development; the Institute of Education Sciences; the Office of Postsecondary Education; and the Office of English Language AcquisitionGoal SupportStates and districts have a responsibility to provide all underserved students, including students with disabilities, English learners, and students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, with equitable access to educational resources, services, and opportunities. Additional resources that meet students’ social, emotional, and health needs—and that build resilience and are responsive to trauma—should be readily available to all students. ^ The Department will work to provide schools with funding and evidence-based resources to ensure that educators, staff, and students have access to a safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environment, which is a vital step to safely reopening the nation’s school buildings. Efforts are underway to fully understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students, educators, and school staff, including collecting data on the status of in-person learning to help students and teachers return to the classroom safely. The Department will address the academic emotional, health, and safety needs of students most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as underserved students, through its various programs (including its grant programs) and policies (including its regulations where it has authority on these topics) and by supporting digital equity and tackling identified disparities for which it has authority to address. ^ The Department awards approximately $40 billion annually, provided through the regular appropriations process, in formula and competitive grants to states, school districts, and nonprofit organizations. In addition, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, Congress provided approximately $200 billion in additional emergency supplemental appropriations to support P–12 education through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act; the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA); and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP). States and school districts can use CARES, CRRSAA, and ARP funds to expand access to digital and remote learning; stabilize the educator workforce; purchase materials (e.g., personal protective equipment, laptops, and instructional materials) to enable a return to safe, in-person learning; and address the impact of lost instructional time on students, particularly disadvantaged students who have suffered a disproportionate impact from pandemic-related interruptions to their schooling. ^ Funding available through ARP will dramatically expand state and local capacity to address these issues, and states will submit plans describing how they will use ARP funds to address the social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs of students; implement strategies to accelerate learning; and maintain the operation of and continuity of education-related services, including by stabilizing the workforce and avoiding layoffs. OptionsIncrease high-quality educational options. _7d25b644-f696-11ec-8837-fa360d83ea001.1The Department will: • Work to address educational inequities that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and target resources and support to students with the greatest needs. The pandemic is an impetus to revisit the definition of “non-traditional” education. • Support states in developing or strengthening crucial summer, afterschool, and other extended learning and enrichment programs and facilitating robust family and community engagement and input on how to improve access to in-school and out-of-school learning opportunities for historically underserved students. • Monitor Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) grantees for the implementation of their approved applications, review annual performance reports, and conduct quarterly calls with grantees. • Conduct a joint project directors meeting for the Magnet Schools Assistance Program and the FSCS Program in December 2021 that includes opportunities for technical assistance from field leaders, policy organizations, and philanthropic organizations to scale and enhance grantee initiatives. • Support the development, improvement, and expansion of FSCS as a strategy to provide wrap-around support for students and families, including through an ongoing evaluation of FSCS led by the Department’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). • Build evidence about the implementation and/or efficacy of programs related to public school opportunities or parent engagement, including both new and ongoing work at IES related to Statewide Family Engagement Centers and magnet schools. _9cb3a786-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_1[To be determined]AccessProvide all P–12 students with equal access to high-quality educational opportunities._7d25b720-f696-11ec-8837-fa360d83ea001.2P–12 studentsThe Department will: • Support projects and programs that improve students’ social, emotional, and academic development, such as identifying conditions of the learning environment that contribute to success and engaging with families and community leaders. • Monitor states for the implementation of their approved plans for complying with Education Stabilization Fund requirements. Specifically, the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) will: o Monitor states for compliance with the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act; the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021; and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) in fiscal year (FY) 2022. States will be chosen based on a risk assessment. To support grantees in preparing for the Department’s monitoring activities, OESE will provide Monitoring Office Hours sessions online to engage grantees and field questions. Additional timely information regarding monitoring will be provided to grantees through updates via the Department’s Grants Management System—G5—which supports the Department’s life cycle business process, and/or through regular “News Blast” emails to grantees and associated stakeholders. o Review every grantees’ annual performance report in spring 2022 to evaluate uses of funds and provide technical assistance as needed. o Determine outcomes associated with OESE’s methods for monitoring compliance and assess whether additional tools, methods, or communications should be explored to support implementation of key ARP requirements in FY 2023. • Monitor states for the implementation of their approved plans for complying with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), including report card requirements. Specifically, OESE will: o Monitor states for compliance with Title I, Part A; Title II, Part A; and Title III, Part A of ESEA in FY 2022. States will be chosen based on a risk assessment. o Determine the outcomes associated with OESE’s methods for monitoring compliance and assess whether additional tools, methods, or communications should be explored to support state implementation of key ESEA requirements in FY 2022. • Review every state’s report card in January 2022 to evaluate whether they have been published and include required information for parents and stakeholders, including the list of schools identified for comprehensive or targeted support and improvement; data on demographic subgroups (e.g., students experiencing homelessness, students in foster care, and students with a parent in the Armed Forces); data on per-pupil expenditures; and information on districts and schools receiving school improvement funds, including the amount of funds and types of strategies implemented. • Support and monitor states and districts in the implementation of multi-tiered systems of support to improve school climate and access to mental health services for students exposed to violence and other traumatic events. • Support projects that increase school capacity to better address the social, emotional, behavioral, physical, and academic needs of historically underserved students (e.g., students with disabilities, English learners, students experiencing homelessness or trauma, students without access to technology, and migrant students). • Support state educational agencies (SEAs) that implement model programs that enable access to trauma-specific mental health services for students from low-income households and other underserved students who have experienced trauma or other adverse childhood experiences that may negatively affect their educational engagement and ability. • Support SEAs to increase their capacity to assist school districts by providing training and technical assistance in the development and implementation of high-quality school emergency operations plans. • Publish guidance documents on key issues related to the equitable and effective use of technology and mental health services for vulnerable populations. • Publish guidance documents to support COVID-19 response and recovery, including frequently asked questions on the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund and the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief uses of funds as well as the Maintenance of Equity and Maintenance of Effort provisions. • Conduct rulemaking on the Emergency Assistance for Non-Public Schools and ARP ESSER programs. • Work collaboratively with 19 other federal agencies that are members of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness to provide technical assistance and information to address the needs of homeless children and youths. The Department will award additional ARP funding in FY 2021 to support the education of children and youths experiencing homelessness. In addition, the Department plans to provide technical assistance and conduct evaluation activities, particularly on the uses of ARP funds under this program. • Work collaboratively with other agencies to increase racial and socioeconomic diversity through the Magnet Schools Assistance Program and other educational settings. • Publish guidance on voluntary desegregation efforts under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. • Work collaboratively with other agencies to improve the quality of educational programs in juvenile justice facilities. • Publish guidance that instructs schools, per civil rights laws, to eliminate disparities in discipline practices. • Use the results of a national needs assessment conducted in FY 2021 to inform improvements to the Migrant Student Information Exchange (MSIX) and the Department’s related technical assistance. OESE’s Office of Migrant Education worked with contractors to conduct a needs assessment regarding intra- and inter-state transfer of educational records of migratory students. The improvements will ensure school staff and other Migrant Education Program stakeholders have access to, and the capacity to effectively use, MSIX data to meet the unique educational needs of migratory students, including students with disabilities and underserved children. • Monitor the eight states in the cohort of the Differentiated Monitoring and Support plan for their implementation of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requirements to improve outcomes for infants, toddlers, children, and youths with disabilities. These states will be monitored over a three-year period. The first year, 2021–2022, is pre-site work. The second year, 2022–2023, is the on-site visit and letter of findings. The third year, 2023–2024, is for corrective action or needed technical assistance. • Enforce civil rights laws effectively by investigating and resolving complaints of discrimination and by conducting compliance reviews and directed investigations consistent with applicable statutes and regulations, case law, and internal procedures. • Obtain appropriate and robust remedies in resolution agreements and monitor the implementation of resolution agreements to ensure that recipients comply with the law. Complementing these enforcement activities, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will also issue guidance and technical assistance addressing equality of opportunity under civil rights laws. OCR will continue to collect and publish data related to civil rights and equity through its Civil Rights Data Collection. 1.2.DStudentsPercentage_9cb3aede-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_2TrendSteady992020-10-022021-09-30StatusSteady992021-10-012022-09-30Percentage of students in the country who have internet bandwidth at school of at least 100 kbps per student.Baseline992019-10-012020-09-30Data Source ~ EducationSuperHighway.1.2.ERural Schools ConnectedPercentage_9cb3b140-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_3TrendSteady992020-10-012021-09-30Steady992021-10-012022-09-30Percentage of rural schools connected to a broadband infrastructure capable of scaling to 10 gigabits per second.Baseline992020-09-30Data Source ~ EducationSuperHighway.College & CareersPrepare all students for successful transition to college and careers by supporting access to dual enrollment, job skills development and high-quality science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)._7d25b806-f696-11ec-8837-fa360d83ea001.3The Department will: • Work to expand equitable access to evidence-based policies and programs that support a successful transition from high school to postsecondary education and careers, including dual or concurrent enrollment programs; access to accelerated coursework, such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses to earn postsecondary credit while still in high school; high-quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instruction, including computer science; and job skills development through high-quality career, technical, and adult education programs. These options are critical for students as they prepare for the transition to postsecondary institutions and careers and the quickly changing demands of the technology-driven global economy. • Increase the number of teachers with additional certifications or training in high-demand areas who can effectively prepare students for career pathways through high-quality career and technical education (CTE) programs by designing instruction in ways that are engaging and provide students with opportunities to think critically and solve complex problems, apply their learning in authentic and real-world settings, communicate and collaborate effectively, and develop academic mindsets, including through project-based, work-based, or other experiential learning opportunities and through effective integration of technology. • Support projects that strengthen community colleges, historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, and other minorityserving institutions. • Increase the number of individuals, including students with disabilities and other underserved students, who enroll in postsecondary institutions or pursue skills needed for the workforce through multiple workforce pathways, including by reducing costs and loan repayment obligations for students. • Increase access to cybersecurity programs of study for students in underserved communities and expand high school pathways to postsecondary cybersecurity programs at community and technical colleges designated as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity by the National Security Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. • Support grant recipients of the Pathways to STEM Apprenticeship for High School CTE Students demonstration grant program, which expands pathways and improves the transition of high school CTE students to postsecondary education and employment through apprenticeships in STEM fields, including computer science, that begin during high school. • Support the grant recipients of the Perkins Innovation and Modernization Program to identify, support, and evaluate evidence-based and innovative strategies and activities to improve and modernize CTE and ensure workforce skills taught in CTE programs funded under the Perkins statute align with labor market needs. • Launch the CTE STEM Index Project to support the development of CTE programs by providing a tool to better estimate the demand for STEM jobs and the skills that can be gained in CTE to enter STEM career pathways.1.3.ASTEM GrantsNumber_9cb3b2e4-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_4TrendDecreasing122020-10-012021-09-30StatusDecreasing102021-10-012022-09-30Number of discretionary grant notices with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics as a priority.Baseline132019-10-012020-09-30Data Sources ~ Program offices holding discretionary grant competitions each year, including the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; the Office of Postsecondary Education; the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education; the Institute of Education Sciences; and the Office of English LanguageAcquisition.1.3.GAdult EnrolleesNumber_9cb3bab4-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_5TrendIncreasing560002020-10-012021-09-30StatusIncreasing700002021-10-012022-09-30Number of adult education participants enrolled in an integrated education and training program.Baseline519152019-10-012020-09-30Data Source ~ National Reporting System for Adult Education.1.3.JSTEM EnrolleesNumber_9cb3be10-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_6TrendDecreasing12405082020-10-012021-09-30StatusIncreasing15506352021-10-012022-09-30Number of secondary career and technical education concentrators enrolling in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.Baseline12936732019-10-012020-09-30Data Source ~ State Consolidated Annual Reports for the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V).Evidence & PerformanceSupport agencies and institutions in the implementation of evidence-based strategies and practices that build the capacity of school staff and families to support students’ academic performance._7d25b914-f696-11ec-8837-fa360d83ea001.4The Department will: • Continue to provide support to the education community as it recovers from the abrupt transition from traditional to virtual learning. With the quarantining of virtually all Americans beginning in mid-March 2020, the Department rapidly pivoted to provide support to tens of millions of children who were being educated virtually, families who were helping to fulfill the role of teachers, and educators who were developing and delivering virtual instruction. OESE, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, and IES formed a Technical Assistance Coordination Team within one week of the stay-at-home orders to develop coordinated support for children, families, and educators. The Technical Assistance Coordination Team continues to act in a coordinating role to ensure the Department’s support is effectively and efficiently delivered and will continue in this role as most students return to in-person learning. Providing evidence-based support and resources will continue to be a priority for the Department as schools reopen to assess students’ learning needs. • Continue to leverage the Department’s statutory authority under ESSA Section 8601 to conduct high-quality evaluations through IES that are relevant to ESEA programs and can answer questions of strategic importance, offer evidence that can support program improvement, and identify effective strategies for improving student achievement, particularly for students of color, low-income students, and other underserved students. • Identify opportunities to further build and use evidence in the Department’s grant programs—both formula and competitive. This includes updating the Education Department’s General Administrative Regulations to build and use evidence effectively. In addition, this includes developing strategies and sharing resources on evidence building and use in collaboration with IES to identify meaningful opportunities for evidence building consistent with the Department’s forthcoming FY 2022–2026 Learning Agenda. • Collaborate with internal and external partners to disseminate resources on the use of evidence, including internal trainings and workshops to build staff capacity to support formula and competitive grantees and the broader education community. • Release products from IES’ What Works Clearinghouse that support the adoption of evidence-based practices in P–12 education, including topics such as promoting social and behavioral success for learning in elementary schools and assisting students struggling with reading in grades 4 through 9. 1.4.ATA EngagementsNumber_9cb3c1bc-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_7TrendIncreasing14222020-10-012021-09-30Prior year +5%StatusIncreasing14932021-10-012022-09-30Number of technical assistance engagements, events or related activities or products focused on the grantees’ use of evidence in prekindergarten through grade 12 education.Baseline13552019-10-012020-09-30Data Sources ~ Department of Education offices that deliver technical assistance.Postsecondary EducationExpand postsecondary educational opportunities, improve outcomes to foster economic opportunity and promote an informed, thoughtful and productive citizenry._7d25ba22-f696-11ec-8837-fa360d83ea002Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary EducationGoal LeaderSupporting OfficesSeveral offices across the Department support Goal 2, including FSA; OPE; the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education; the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; the Office for Civil Rights; the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development; and the Institute of Education Sciences.The Department is prioritizing achieving equitable opportunities and outcomes for students, including economically underserved students, students with disabilities, English learners, and students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. The Department will continue to support students in their access to and completion of postsecondary education, especially underserved students and students with the greatest needs. This support will include sharing education data to promote best practices, using evidence to develop and continue strategies that work, and being transparent with the education community about successes and challenges that students face. ^ The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act was passed by Congress on March 27, 2020. This bill provided approximately $14 billion for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), administered by the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE). On December 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (i.e., HEERF II) was signed into law, and the Department announced an additional $22.7 billion available to institutions of higher education to ensure learning continues for students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (i.e., HEERF III) was signed into law on March 11, 2021, and made $36.9 billion in new investments to the HEERF Program. ^ For a complete list of COVID-19 flexibilities currently offered by the Department, review the COVID-19 Resources for Schools, Students, and Families. ^ The Department is focusing attention on having the office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) deliver world-class customer and partner experiences through the modernization of its systems and operations. To be the most trusted and reliable source of student financial aid information and services in the nation, FSA must continuously improve the quality of service for students, families, and borrowers. College & Lifelong LearningSupport educational institutions, students, parents and communities to increase access and completion of college, lifelong learning and career, technical and adult education._7d25bb3a-f696-11ec-8837-fa360d83ea002.1Educational InstitutionsStudentsParentsCommunitiesThe Department will: • Address challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic through the Office of Postsecondary Education’s (OPE’s) administration of the Higher Education Emergency Relief programs and implementation of waivers and flexibilities offered to grantees. The COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to remote learning have created academic challenges and greatly exacerbated financial and mental health issues for an untold number of students, particularly underserved students. The challenges, including widespread job losses and the transition to virtual learning, have imperiled students’ access to and progress in higher education. • Issue invitational priorities to grantees to provide integrated student support services (i.e., wrap-around services) for students to address concerns such as mental health, basic needs, and academic support due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Grant applicants will be asked to describe ways they will collaborate with partners to provide resources to support students and communities hit hardest by the pandemic and implement evidence-based best practices to address the existing inequities exacerbated by the pandemic. • Issue new guidance allowing colleges to use emergency funds in more flexible ways, including expanding flexibilities for student and institutional needs; empowering institutions to use their funds to discharge student debts, support student services, and re-engage those students who may have left college due to financial concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic; and emphasizing ways to support vulnerable students. • Support the development and implementation of student success programs that include multiple interventions, such as academic advising, the provision of financial resources, structured pathways, and other student supports to increase credential attainment. • Review and reconsider existing regulations, orders, guidance, policies, and other similar agency actions, including the 2020 amendments to the Department’s regulations implementing Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, entitled “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance,” as required by Executive Order (EO) 14021, Guaranteeing an Educational Environment Free from Discrimination on the Basis of Sex, Including Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity, including convening a public hearing and issuing new guidance, as described in the Letter to Students, Educators, and other Stakeholders issued by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) on April 6, 2021. OCR also anticipates conducting rulemaking to amend Title IX’s implementing regulations. • Facilitate institutions’ use of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act flexibilities related to the administration of Title IV and Higher Education Act of 1965 programs as well as flexibilities outlined in the Federal Student Aid Programs Federal Register Notice using authority of the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003 to assist students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in completing their programs of study. • Use high-quality data for transparency, accountability, and institutional improvement to conduct negotiated rulemaking that supports postsecondary students and loan borrowers. • Scale cross-agency coordination to increase knowledge among potentially eligible students about public benefits available to them in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. • Improve access to quality educational programs available in correctional settings. • Continue to increase access to federal student aid and improve the customer experience through the services available on the StudentAid.gov website and simplification of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid® (FAFSA®) form. In this way, the Department remains focused on enhancing its delivery of information, systems, and operations to expand postsecondary school access and improve affordability and completion. Specifically: o Continue to work toward improving access to the FAFSA® form as well as the ease of completing the FAFSA® process. By focusing on increasing customer knowledge about the FAFSA® form and the associated application periods while working to decrease the burden on students and families of verifying FAFSA® data, the Department will better assist students and families with understanding and completing the FAFSA® process to receive aid in a timely manner. o Support FAFSA® simplification, including using the flexibilities provided to the office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) through the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act and the FAFSA Simplification Act of 2020. • Continue to provide technical assistance, on-campus site visits, specialized staff training, and internal assessments for minority and under-resourced institutions participating in Title IV programs. • Effectively enforce civil rights laws by investigating and resolving complaints of discrimination, compliance reviews, and directed investigations consistent with applicable statutes and regulations, case laws, and internal procedures. This includes obtaining appropriate and robust remedies in resolution agreements and monitoring their implementation to ensure that recipients are in compliance with the law. Complementing these enforcement activities, OCR will also issue guidance and technical assistance addressing equality of opportunity under civil rights laws. 2.1.BFirst-Time Free ApplicantsPercentage_9cb3c8b0-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_8TrendIncreasing66.252020-10-012021-09-30StatusIncreasing66.52021-10-012022-09-30Percentage of first-time Free Application for Federal Student Aid® filers among high school seniors.Baseline63.82019-10-012020-09-30Data Source ~ The office of Federal Student Aid’s Central Processing System.Evidence & PracticesSupport agencies and educational institutions in identifying and using evidence-based strategies or other promising practices to improve educational opportunities and successfully prepare individuals to compete in the global economy._7d25bdba-f696-11ec-8837-fa360d83ea002.2The Department will: • Continue to connect Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) adult education program participants to jobs, as measured by the number of participants in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exiting the program. The general employment rate has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education expects the employment rate of WIOA participants to also be affected in the future. • Identify opportunities to further build and use evidence in the Department’s grant programs, both formula and competitive. This includes updating the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) and Other Applicable Grant Regulations to build and use evidence effectively. In addition, this includes developing strategies and sharing resources on evidence building and use in collaboration with the Institute of Education Sciences to identify meaningful opportunities for evidence building consistent with the Department’s forthcoming fiscal years (FY) 2022–2026 Learning Agenda. • Use the Monitoring and Technical Assistance Guide for the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program to conduct monitoring and provide technical assistance to state VR agencies, with a focus on the performance outcomes of individuals served by the VR Program and the Supported Employment Program. • Continue to provide technical assistance to all state VR agencies related to the WIOA performance indicators, including those captured by measures 2.2.C and 2.2.D (see the Goal 2 Performance Measures section for further details), and support these agencies in collecting and reporting high-quality performance data. • Provide technical assistance to promote the development and use of stackable credentials by community and technical colleges to improve the attainment of career and technical education (CTE) credentials by their students. By awarding credit for a range of education, training, workplace learning, and skill-building experiences that “stack” toward associate degrees, stackable credential programs are meant to help working students develop the skills they need to simultaneously advance on the job and earn credentials that enable further study. Such programs are designed to accelerate credit attainment and may increase the likelihood of degree completion. • Disseminate the Introduction to Stackable Credentials. This resource provides practical steps for enhancing employer engagement, designing programs with stackable credentials, supporting student completion, and sustaining program responsiveness to employer needs. • Disseminate a Young Adult Diversion Toolkit to help state and local governments learn how to provide justice-involved young adults with alternatives to prosecution, incarceration, or both. 2.2.ATA Events & ActivitiesNumber_9cb3cc0c-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_9TrendIncreasing1682020-10-012021-09-30Prior year +5%StatusIncreasing1762021-10-012022-09-30Number of technical assistance events or activities and products focused on the use of evidence in federal programs that promote educational opportunities, training, and support services for the workforce.Baseline1602019-10-012020-09-30Data Souces ~ Departmental offices that deliver technical assistance.2.2.BEmployed ParticipantsPercentage_9cb3ce3c-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_10TrendDeclining19.12020-10-012021-09-30StatusDeclining18.92021-10-012022-09-30Percentage of adult education program participants who were in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exiting the program.Baseline27.52019-10-012020-09-30Data Sources ~ National Reporting System annual state reports.2.2.CEmployed Voc Rehab ParticipantsPercentage_9cb3d3c8-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_11TrendBaseline2020-10-012021-09-30StatusBaseline2021-10-012022-09-30Percentage of Vocational Rehabilitation Program participants who were in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exiting the program.51.32019-10-012020-09-30Data Source ~ Rehabilitation Services Administration’s 911 Vocational Rehabilitation Case Service Report.2.2.DEducation/Training Voc Rehab ParticipantsPercentage_9cb3d6c0-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_12TrendDeclining25.12020-10-012021-09-30[To be described]StatusIncreasing29.82021-10-012022-09-30Percentage of Vocational Rehabilitation Program participants who, during a program year, are in an education or training program that leads to a recognized postsecondary credential or employment and who are achieving measurable skill gains, defined as documented academic, technical, occupational, or other forms of progress, toward such a credential or employment. Baseline31.42019-10-012020-09-30Data Source ~ Rehabilitation Services Administration’s 911 Vocational Rehabilitation Case Service Report.Credentials, Skills & CareersSupport agencies and educational institutions as they create or expand innovative and affordable paths to relevant careers by providing postsecondary credentials or job-ready skills._7d25bf04-f696-11ec-8837-fa360d83ea002.3The Department will: • Continue to provide grants, outreach, and technical assistance to institutions preparing youth and adult learners for the emerging workforce, with a focus on increasing the number and proportion of students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, students with disabilities, and other underserved students who enroll in and complete postsecondary education programs. The Department will continue to support multiple pathways to success, such as community colleges, technical schools, and four-year institutions. • Identify opportunities to create clearer career pathways for students that may potentially reduce the time to complete a degree and the overall cost of college, including dual enrollment or concurrent enrollment, and to make transfers of course credits more seamless and transparent. • Support programs that connect students and out-of-school youths with disabilities to resources that will assist them in transitioning to adult life, including connecting them to CTE and VR.2.3.CSTEM DegreesNumber_9cb3d8fa-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_13TrendDeclining5896002020-10-012021-09-30TrendSteady5896002021-10-012022-09-30Number of postsecondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics degrees and certificates conferred. Baseline6388662019-10-012020-09-30Data Source ~ The National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Completions component.Student AidImprove quality of service for customers across the entire student aid life cycle._7d25c058-f696-11ec-8837-fa360d83ea002.4The Department will: • Increase access to college by working toward simplifying the FAFSA® form and various financial aid products offered by FSA to help solve acute problems. FSA is closely coordinating the implementation of the FUTURE Act, the FAFSA Simplification Act of 2020, and the modernization of the FAFSA® backend systems. As FSA implements these acts and system enhancements, students and parents will have a new experience from completion of the FAFSA® form through repayment. • Offer an outstanding customer experience and improved personal outcomes for every student, family, and borrower. FSA’s Digital Customer Care (DCC) platform is the digital front door for FSA’s customers (i.e., students, parents, and borrowers). DCC brings to life a personalized, customer-centric experience, with interaction channels, including mobile, web, social media, email, live agent, virtual agent, chat, and mail. FSA will: o Modernize the technology, processes, and operations to improve student, parent, and borrower experiences and outcomes as well as those of student aid partners, including institutions of higher education. o Continue to release new features that assist customers and partners to ensure easier, more seamless customer and partner interactions with FSA across the student aid life cycle through an enterprise-wide, FSA-branded digital platform. This will enable FSA to maintain an ongoing relationship with its customers and empower customers and partners to receive additional support. o Work with customers to increase their understanding of the student aid life cycle, financing, and customer support, which will be refined through the ongoing analysis of customer and partner data and feedback and will be continuously improved through activities such as iterative user testing. o Increase postsecondary school access, affordability, and completion by enhancing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Help Tool and the PSLF and Temporary Expanded PSLF certification and application forms as well as providing enhancements to Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant agreements and counseling. 2.4.DStudent Aid App DownloadsNumber_9cb3de9a-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_14StatusDeclining14000002020-10-012021-09-30StatusIncreasing16000002021-10-012022-09-30Number of downloads of the myStudentAid mobile app.Baseline16576082019-10-012020-09-30Data Source ~ The office of Federal Student Aid’s online platform analytics.2.4.FFree Application CustomersNumber_9cb3e1ba-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_15StatusIncreasing26000002020-10-012021-09-30StatusIncreasing30000002021-10-012022-09-30Number of customers submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid® via a mobile platform—the myStudentAid mobile app or fafsa.gov. Baseline25052932019-10-012020-09-30Data Source ~ The office of Federal Student Aid’s online platform analytics.2.4.GStudentAid.gov Site VisitsNumber_9cb3e426-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_16Trend2100000002020-10-012021-09-30StatusIncreasing2200000002021-10-012022-09-30Number of visits (sessions) demonstrating adoption of the updated StudentAid.gov site.Baseline2172993062019-10-012020-09-30Data Source ~ The office of Federal Student Aid’s online platform analytics.2.4.HAidan UsersNumber_9cb3ea8e-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_17TrendDeclining5000002020-10-012021-09-30StatusIncreasing7500002021-10-012022-09-30Number of users of “Aidan,” the StudentAid.gov virtual assistant.Baseline5457632019-10-012020-09-30Data Source ~ The office of Federal Student Aid’s online platform analytics.Student LoansEnhance students’ and parents’ ability to repay their federal student loans by providing accurate and timely information, relevant tools and manageable repayment options._7d25c1d4-f696-11ec-8837-fa360d83ea002.5StudentsParentsThe Department will: • Continue to build on its comprehensive framework for student aid management that allows students to understand and access information about college options and associated costs, loan counseling and guidance, support for retention, loan repayment options, and borrower benefits. FSA assists borrowers in identifying the appropriate information and financial pathways to meet their educational goals and lessen long-term debt associated with their choices. • Support and continue to widely disseminate information on the CARES Act that provided temporary relief on Department-held federal student loans, which included suspension of loan payments, cessation of collections on defaulted loans, and a 0 percent interest rate. As of the second quarter of FY 2021, the Department will expand the 0 percent interest rate and pause collections activity to 1.14 million borrowers who defaulted on a privately held Federal Family Education Loan Program loan. This action will protect more than 800,000 additional borrowers who are at risk of having their federal tax refunds seized to repay a defaulted loan. This relief will be made retroactive to March 13, 2020, the start of the COVID-19 national emergency. All temporary student loan relief has been extended by law and EO until September 30, 2021. • Increase collaboration and collective action across the Department, led by FSA and OPE, to further advance information and materials that inform students and parents about federal student loan repayment options, both before and throughout the student aid life cycle. • Assess regularly and improve the quality of service for customers and partners across the entire student aid life cycle. This effort involves enhancing operational efficiency, flexibility, and oversight of entities that directly support the Department’s constituents to include contractors and financial institutions. • Emphasize effective engagement of its customers and partners, as this is critical to the success of the student loan programs’ overall goals and objectives. A major priority for FSA is to engage with stakeholders and to enhance the customer and partner experience, which will ultimately lead to improved taxpayer outcomes. • Continue, with the end-user in mind, to test, evaluate, and launch/scale, by the end of FY 2022, new customer- and partner-facing products. Whenever possible, these will be developed with focus groups, user testing, and customer feedback integrated. • Continue to build out a state-of-the-art data and analytics capability to provide meaningful customer insights to support more informed decision-making regarding loan repayment. _9cb3edc2-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_18[To be determined]DataStrengthen the quality, accessibility and use of education data through better management, increased privacy protections and transparency._4641d870-f6fe-11ec-992d-a0981d83ea003Chief Data OfficerGoal LeaderContributing OfficesSeveral offices across the Department support Goal 3, including the National Center for Education Statistics within the Institute of Education Sciences; the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development; the Office of the Chief Information Officer; the office of Federal Student Aid; the Office for Civil Rights; and the Office of the General Counsel. The Department continues its focus on developing solutions at the enterprise level in the areas of data management, security, access, and transparency. The Department makes significant efforts to ensure that data are accurate, timely, and accessible so they may be used to inform decisions, investments, and policy that contribute to improved outcomes and educational equity for students at both the P–12 and higher education levels. ^ The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act and the Federal Data Strategy put federal agencies on notice that data and evidence need to play a more prominent role in how the federal government functions. The Department recognizes that holistically adopting an agency-wide Data Strategy is the path to effectively meet mission objectives and establish funding priorities. Such a strategy treats data as an asset from which valuable insights can be derived—insights that can be used to inform Administration policy, effectively steward taxpayer funds, and ultimately improve national educational equity and outcomes. ^ In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic drove home the need for an agency-wide approach to data management as the Department pivoted to meet rapidly changing data needs. The agency stood up new grant programs to meet the needs of students during these challenging times and shared information with the public on how the Department is supporting states and other grantees in P–12 and higher education. A cohesive, agency-wide data strategy will further enhance the Department’s response to current and future data needs in support of the agency’s mission. ^ In fiscal year 2020, the Data Governance Board, comprising senior leaders in the Department, helped assess and advance the Department’s data maturity. Subsequently, a Department Data Strategy was published in December 2020 and includes a vision to realize the full potential of data to improve educational equity and outcomes and lead the nation in a new era of evidencebased policy insights and data-driven operations. The Data Strategy will help the Department respond to current and future needs in support of its mission, goals, and objectives. Capacity & GovernanceImprove the Department’s data governance, data life cycle management and the capacity to support education data._4641dc3a-f6fe-11ec-992d-a0981d83ea003.1The Department will: • Continue to implement the requirements of the Evidence Act as outlined in Office of Management and Budget’s Memorandums M-19-23 and M-20-12 as well as additional implementation memorandums for phases 2 and 3 when released. • Actively examine its data governance structure and policies and, throughout fiscal year (FY) 2021, evaluate and improve that structure for agency data governance, developing policies, procedures, and constructs in support of transparent decision-making. The Department recognizes that existing processes and structures may have allowed discoverable inequities to go unnoticed in its agency’s programs. These efforts will be led by the Department’s Chief Data Officer in consultation with the Department’s Statistical Official and Evaluation Officer and its Data Governance Board (DGB). • Continue to convene the DGB to discuss and evaluate high-priority data needs, which are detailed in the Department’s inaugural Data Strategy. Offices in the Department will implement goals and objectives under the Data Strategy, such as how best to address data needs in the Department’s FY 2022–2026 Learning Agenda and implement a data investment management process. • Establish an agency-wide capital planning process by identifying best practices and assessing existing data-related workflows for gaps and overlaps. • Define an efficient process for review and approval of data-related projects and infrastructure that remediates the burden on principal offices while better aligning expectations for data investments with the goals of Department leadership, the DGB, and needs of the National Center for Education Statistics as the Federal principal statistical agency responsible for producing education statistics and data. • Continue using annual data maturity assessments to identify specific data management functions in need of additional support and implement action plans both within offices and across the agency. • Oversee implementation of the data life cycle management policy adopted in FY 2021. • Develop and execute a human capital strategy for data management, identifying improvements in how the Department recruits, develops, retains, and leverages government personnel to ensure life cycle data management within principal offices and as an enterprise. Additionally, the Department will implement a short-term plan to remedy key staffing gaps through creative solutions and prioritized hiring while longer-term planning is completed. • Highlight actions being taken by states that in 2020 received either an FY 2019 or FY 2020 supplemental grant award through the Statewide Longitudinal Data System Program. These awards were made at the beginning (FY 2019 awards were made in March 2020) and at the height (FY 2020 supplemental awards were made in September 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts during FY 2021 focus on highlighting the data system needs and plans within grant applications. • Establish data standards across the agency to reduce the burden and costs associated with collecting, validating, and integrating data. Externally, this involves the continued use of Common Education Data Standards in data collections from educational agencies and institutions. Internally, the Department will enhance the process for approving information collections to support FAIR (i.e., Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles and build on metadata management efforts from the Open Data Platform and Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 reporting processes. • Complete the revision of the Information Quality Act (IQA) guidance and strongly promote the application of data quality standards in accordance with IQA. 3.1.AData Mature OfficesPercentage_9cb3f056-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_19TrendSteady252020-10-012021-09-30StatusSteady252021-10-012022-09-30Percentage of principal offices assessed as having higher data maturity year over year based on the Department’s data maturity assessment tool.Baseline2019-10-012020-09-30Data Source ~ The Department’s Annual Data Maturity Assessment.Transparency & PrivacyImprove privacy protections for, and transparency of, education data both at the Department and in the education community._4641dea6-f6fe-11ec-992d-a0981d83ea003.2The Department will: • Remain committed to protecting student privacy. While education data can be used to inform and drive transformative efforts, the vast amount and sensitivity of these data make it imperative that the Department and the educational institutions that maintain student data take steps to adequately protect them. Demand for data security technical assistance at institutions has been steadily increasing over the last several years, resulting in the Department prioritizing efforts in this area through a variety of approaches, from conferences and regional meetings, to targeted technical assistance calls and webinars. The Department continues improving student privacy protections and ensuring the inclusion of transparency best practices through administering the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA); developing and disseminating privacy and security training; and making technical assistance available to states, districts, and institutions of higher education (IHEs). The Department also focuses on providing outreach activities targeting data privacy and information technology security requirements at IHEs through collaboration across the Department. • Support the January 2021 Presidential Memorandum, Restoring Trust in Government through Scientific Integrity and Evidence-Based Policymaking, directing agencies to make evidence-based decisions guided by the best available science and data. To meet this mandate, the Department must continue to develop and implement methods to analyze, interpret, and disseminate education data and support education stakeholders in doing the same. The Department will continue to focus on increasing access to education data at all levels and improving the tools necessary to support the appropriate use of education data for decision-making by the Department and its stakeholders. • Publish the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for FERPA and Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), with updates and clarifications of policy and technical issues. The proposed regulations are also needed to implement statutory amendments to FERPA contained in the Uninterrupted Scholars Act of 2013 and the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 to reflect changes related to the enforcement responsibilities of the office concerning FERPA/PPRA and to make a change in the name of the office designated to administer both FERPA and PPRA. • Continue the collaboration between the Student Privacy Policy Office’s (SPPO’s) Privacy Technical Assistance Center and the office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) to provide a variety of training opportunities in FY 2022 to enhance data privacy and information security at IHEs. • Achieve SPPO’s goal of reviewing 1,504 local educational agency (LEA) websites to assess their inclusion of transparency best practices by the end of FY 2022. The goal represents approximately 10 percent of operational LEA websites in the country. Throughout the reviews and during the development of year-end annual reports, SPPO is identifying trends to facilitate the delivery of targeted technical assistance. In completing the review of the statistically representative sample, SPPO will use the results to generate an overall summary report and consider the need for additional guidance or best practices in transparency. The FY 2022 year-end report and overall summary report is scheduled to be completed in late 2022. The Department will announce the availability of the report, promote its contents, and post it with all other related reports on SPPO’s website. • Continue to refine processes to actively monitor cybersecurity compliance and the risk factors associated with performing cybersecurity reviews. • Work to remediate Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act noncompliance in IHEs and work with IHEs to proactively put in place compliance programs to reduce the number of noncompliant audits over time. • Continue engagements with nongovernmental organizations to inform the development of best-practice programmatic improvements and communicate the strategic direction changes as recommended by the IHE Task Force. The IHE Task Force was convened in FY 2021 to outline the operational overview of program management; identify the program oversight groups, roles and responsibilities; and identify the program workstreams that support the vision of the IHE Cybersecurity Program. • Continue to address the requirements to: o Educate, support, and incentivize IHEs to mature their cybersecurity postures to protect the Department, FSA, and student data more effectively. o Address the federal mandate to protect controlled unclassified information that is transmitted, processed, stored, and destroyed by Title IV eligible IHEs in accordance with Executive Order 13556, Controlled Unclassified Information, implementing Regulation 32 CFR Part 2002 in the Code of Federal Regulations and the National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-171, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Systems and Organizations. o Mature FSA’s existing IHE Title IV data breach notification, threat intelligence, incident response, and remediation processes. 3.2.BOutreach ActivitiesNumber_9cb3f79a-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_20TrendDecreasing202020-10-012021-09-30Steady202021-10-012022-09-30Number of outreach activities targeting data privacy and information technology security requirements of institutions of higher education.Baseline562019-10-012020-09-30Data Source ~ Outreach activity records maintained by the Student Privacy Policy Office’s Privacy Technical Assistance CenterAccess & Decision-MakingIncrease access to, and use of, education data to make informed decisions both at the Department and in the education community._4641e324-f6fe-11ec-992d-a0981d83ea003.3The Department will: • Complete several near-term analytical initiatives that can support the identification and elimination of programmatic inconsistencies, such as the collection and retention of open data and the evaluation of completeness and accuracy of Department data, in addition to examining its data governance structures and processes for systemic weaknesses. To prioritize its open data and transparency initiatives, the Department will engage internal and external stakeholders (including the public) on its data needs and codify the results in the Department’s first Open Data Plan. • Implement the required Standard Application Portal for requests to access restricted use data in accordance with the Evidence Act. • Develop for external researchers an additional tier of access to high-priority, micro-level data assets, such as those stewarded by FSA. The Department recognizes that varied experiences, expertise, and backgrounds, including those that stretch beyond its organization boundaries, are valuable in analytically identifying and solving programmatic inequities. • Expand on the FY 2021 launch of the Department’s Open Data Platform to operationalize a comprehensive data inventory for the agency, connecting data releases with data sources in the Department’s Data Inventory and elsewhere, increasing the catalogued data assets it profiles for both externally available open data and internal sources subject to open data priorities, and subsequently reviewing all data assets for release consistent with mandates and exclusions in the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018. • Include metadata for restricted use data sets in the Federal Standard Application Portal for all Department restricted use data files. • Meet requirements to allocate resources to fulfill the responsibilities of effective geospatial data collection, production, and stewardship with regard to related activities of the covered agency and, as necessary, to support the activities of the committee in geospatial data assets as required by the Geospatial Data Act of 2018. • Complete and subsequently release a FY 2022 update of College Scorecard earnings data and other student and institutional metrics to ensure customers are accessing the most recent outcome data to inform their postsecondary education choices and help them find the best fit. • Refine and expand the existing transparency portal with data from the Education Stabilization Fund grant recipients to further improve program implementation, inform policy decisions, and provide public accountability. The fund was initially established through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, with subsequent investments through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 and the American Rescue Plan of 2021. • Explore opportunities to link elementary, secondary, and postsecondary data to yield new insights and identify current educational inequities to inform Department priorities and help close opportunity gaps. • Ensure the strategic use of data in public discourse and debate as well as in Department operations (e.g., resource allocation, acquisition and contract strategies, rulemaking efforts, and grant administration) consistent with the Department’s inaugural Data Strategy. • Increase Departmental staff capacity to leverage data in everyday decisions through continued assessment of data competencies, implementation of a new data literacy program, and development of Department-wide statistical standards and procedures. • Launch a pilot enterprise-wide data analytics platform to provide access to analysis-ready Department data, analytics tools, and data visualizations and dashboards to support operations and program and policy decisions. • Incorporate data systems with student information into the enterprise-wide data analytics platform to analyze the impact of efforts to improve educational equity and outcomes. • Integrate data visualization and storytelling into priority communications and Department culture. Democratize business intelligence and develop data visualizations and dashboards for program staff and leaders that meet their needs for timely and actionable information so they can use data for everyday decisions and to address discoverable inequities. 3.3.AOpen Data AssetsNumber_9cb3fb50-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_21TrendIncreasing5602020-10-012021-09-30StatusIncreasing6452021-10-012022-09-30Number of data assets listed in a comprehensive data inventory that are made available to the Federal Data Catalogue with official determinations regarding “open-by-default” requirements. Baseline4872019-10-012020-09-30Data Source ~ The Department’s comprehensive data inventory.Efficiency, Effectiveness & AccountabilityReform the effectiveness, efficiency and accountability of the Department._4641e66c-f6fe-11ec-992d-a0981d83ea004Office of Finance and OperationsGoal LeaderSupporting OfficesDue to the cross-cutting nature of Goal 4, all offices in the Department support this goal.On January 20, 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order (EO) 13992, Revocation of Certain Executive Orders Concerning Federal Regulation, which calls for agencies to confront urgent challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, economic recovery, racial justice, and climate change using robust regulatory action. In addition, the EO revokes several prior EOs, including EO 13771 and EO 13777, which served as the basis for strategic objective 4.1. Therefore, strategic objective 4.1, as written in the fiscal years 2018–2022 Strategic Plan, and its associated metrics are no longer being implemented. ^ The work of the Office of the General Counsel will support the policies in the Presidential Memorandum issued on January 26, 2021, Modernizing Regulatory Review, which states, in part, “Our Nation today faces serious challenges, including a massive global pandemic; a major economic downturn; systemic racial inequality; and the undeniable reality and accelerating threat of climate change. It is the policy of my Administration to mobilize the power of the Federal Government to rebuild our nation and address these and other challenges. As we do so, it is important that we evaluate the processes and principles that govern regulatory review to ensure swift and effective Federal action. Regulations that promote the public interest are vital for tackling national priorities.” ^ Ensuring that the Department’s systems and data are protected through enhanced cybersecurity remains a high priority for the Department. The Department will continue to provide proactive cybersecurity services, monitor and enhance threat intelligence capabilities, explore shared services and cloud capabilities, and improve its cybersecurity workforce. ^ The Department’s data-driven human capital strategy focuses on improving employee engagement, performance, and competency development. The Department will continue to build the skills and knowledge of its workforce and will transition from identifying competency gaps to prioritizing learning and development opportunities and identifying best practices for closing competency gaps. Furthermore, the Department will focus on improving Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey scores, particularly the Employee Engagement Index. RegulationImprove regulatory processes._4641ea36-f6fe-11ec-992d-a0981d83ea004.1Office of the General Counsel (OGC)The Department’s Office of the General Counsel (OGC) will: • No longer include, beginning in fiscal year (FY) 2021, now-revoked Executive Order (EO) 13771 information, such as the number of regulatory and deregulatory actions issued and the total incremental costs, including costs or costs savings carried over from previous fiscal years, in its regulatory impact analyses for proposed and final regulations. • Work, beginning in FY 2021, toward rescinding the interim final rule on Rulemaking and Guidance Procedures, which was enacted in part to implement now-revoked EO 13891. • Work, beginning in FY 2021, with the Department’s principal operating components to determine how best to effectuate the priorities in EO 13992 and how the Department can measure progress on those objectives. • Work, in FY 2021, in connection with the policies stated in the Presidential Memorandum, Modernizing Regulatory Review, with principal operating components to determine priorities in these areas. OGC and the principal operating components will then develop Strategic Goal(s), performance measures, and metric targets focused on effectuating the Administration’s priorities. As part of this process, OGC will advise the principal operating components on the instrument (e.g., guidance or regulations) that would best assist to legally effectuate the priorities and Strategic Goals. The performance measures developed through this consultation process will help to focus Department action from an early stage on these priorities, whether they will be carried out through regulations, guidance, or other means. Reporting on the new Strategic Goal(s), performance measures, and metric targets will begin in FY 2022. • Provide support to principal operating components on initiating regulatory efforts and exploring other avenues to work across the Department to incorporate national priorities consistent with applicable laws. _9cb3fed4-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_22[To be determined]RisksIdentify, assess, monitor and manage enterprise risks._4641ee6e-f6fe-11ec-992d-a0981d83ea004.2The Department will: • Further integrate formal Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) partnerships and practices into major cross-Department initiatives to ensure data and risk consistently and objectively inform decision-making. • Conduct enhanced risk assessments and proactive planning processes that systematically consider public health and safety crises, including natural disasters, to identify potential impacts to Department operations and its mission to result in more effective guidance and responses to stakeholders and more efficient administration of supplemental funding (e.g., inform grant programming and provide surge capacity staffing). • Implement an enhanced, user-friendly ERM application to more efficiently and effectively facilitate data collection, analysis, reporting, and dissemination of risk management information and activities throughout the Department. • Develop and implement enhanced and innovative training and developmental opportunities for various levels of Department staff and management to further the natural integration of ERM principles into daily work and activities._9cb4062c-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_23[To be determined]CybersecurityStrengthen the Department’s cybersecurity by enhancing protections for its information technology infrastructure, systems and data._4641f22e-f6fe-11ec-992d-a0981d83ea004.3The Department will: • Expand and optimize capabilities that enable data-driven cybersecurity decisions. Key components of this initiative that will be implemented are ongoing enhancements to the Enterprise Cybersecurity Data Lake to incorporate additional data sets that support various cybersecurity functional areas and the implementation of advanced data analytics. • Continue to consolidate agency Security Operations Centers (SOCs) and optimize automation and orchestration across SOC tools to further improve incident detection and response capabilities in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB’s) Memorandum M-19-02, Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Guidance on Federal Information Security and Privacy Management Requirements, and the Department’s Cybersecurity Operation Maturation Plan. • Continue to strengthen cybersecurity protections in accordance with the Information Resources Management Strategic Plan FY 2020 – FY 2024 and Information Technology (IT) Modernization Roadmap and ensure alignment with guidance from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Specifically: o Continue to implement the Enterprise Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM) solution that will be the authoritative source of digital identity records and enable the Department to provide centralized ICAM services to all Department information systems. o Expand the Enterprise ICAM solution to provide centralized user role and account management services to all Department information systems. The Department will also add multi-factor authentication services to the suite of Enterprise ICAM services. o Continue to leverage the DHS Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) Program to implement asset management and identity and access management capabilities for applicable Department information systems in accordance with the Department’s Information Security Continuous Monitoring roadmap. o Leverage DHS’s CDM Program to implement a boundary protection capability. • Continue implementation of OMB’s Memorandum M-19-26, Update to the Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) Initiative, and adopt DHS guidance for the implementation of TIC 3.0. This will be part of a multi-year modernization initiative to enhance and transform the Department’s network security architecture that leverages NIST frameworks and industry best practices for securing cloud-based assets. • Integrate security principles in application development and deployment practices as part of the Department’s Information and Communications Technology Supply Chain Risk Management Program established in FY 2021 in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2019, the Strengthening and Enhancing Cyber-capabilities by Utilizing Risk Exposure Technology Act, and EO 13873. • Map and align knowledge, skills, and abilities with NIST Special Publication 800-181, National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education Cybersecurity Workforce Framework. The aim is to establish training and certification standards for the Department’s information systems security officer workforce and monitor progress through IT governance, life cycle management processes, and Department-wide quarterly performance reviews.4.3.AIT Security Functions ImprovedPercentage_9cb40a14-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_24 TrendDeclining802020-10-012021-09-30StatusSteady802021-10-012022-09-30Percentage of the Department’s information technology security functions that improved.84.502019-10-012020-09-30Data Source ~ Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) CyberScope quarterly risk management assessment, the Department’s Cybersecurity Framework Risk Scorecard, the previous fiscal year’s Office of Inspector General Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 maturity score, and DHS Cyber Hygiene reportsWorkforceImprove the engagement and preparation of the Department’s workforce using professional development and accountability measures._4641f4b8-f6fe-11ec-992d-a0981d83ea004.4The Department will: • Continue implementation of its National Engagement Strategy (NES) to improve the Department’s employee engagement index score in the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) to a score of 67 percent in FY 2022. Specifically: o Issue a Pulse Survey focusing on NES key focus areas in Quarter 1 of FY 2022. o Assess FY 2021 FEVS results and issue individual principal operating component reports by Quarter 3 of FY 2022. o Assess the Department’s NES based on FY 2020 and FY 2021 FEVS and Pulse Survey results and update the strategy as appropriate. o Sustain use of engagement action plans and ensure all participants provide quarterly updates on progress made toward achieving improvement goals. o Publish scalable best practices after analyzing the results of employee engagement action plans established by principal operating components. • Complete and implement competency models to close employees’ job competency gaps across the Department. Specifically: o Draft, validate, and implement competency models, including career maps and training plans, for six additional job categories by FY 2023. o Conduct a competency assessment to measure and assess gap closures. o Prioritize learning and developmental opportunities and share best practices for closing competency gaps. o Continue the linkage between employee performance plans and agency Strategic Goals and objectives. • Identify and address gaps between the workforce of today and the human capital needs of tomorrow. As part of the workforce planning process, the Department is assessing the most efficient and effective ways to recruit, train, and retain data professionals to ensure the Department is able to use data most effectively to meet its mission. • Ensure continued use of a performance plan template to automatically pre-populate employee engagement as a mandatory critical element in the performance plans of supervisors.4.4.AFEVSScore_9cb40e24-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00PLACEHOLDER_25TrendDeclining662020-10-012021-09-30Increasing672021-10-012022-09-30Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) employee engagement index score.Baseline702019-10-012020-09-30Data Source ~ Office of Personnel Management FEVS._9cb4154a-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea002021-10-012022-09-302022-06-28https://www2.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/2022plan/fy2022-apr.pdf_9cb41a18-f714-11ec-81cb-32f32083ea00OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net