The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has announced four new interagency agreements designed to improve coordination across federal agencies, reduce administrative barriers, and strengthen services and protections for students and families. The partnerships involve the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Justice (DOJ) and build on a series of interagency agreements established over the past year.
Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Partnership (ED + HHS)
The Department of Education and HHS are expanding their collaboration to improve early childhood education, employment outcomes, and access to services for individuals with disabilities. The partnership aims to better align federal resources, reduce bureaucratic barriers, and help states and schools improve outcomes for students with disabilities while maintaining all existing federal protections and obligations under disability laws.
- View the partnership fact sheet for special education and rehabilitative services here.
Civil Rights Enforcement Partnership (ED + DOJ)
ED and DOJ will work together to strengthen enforcement of federal civil rights laws. The partnership is intended to improve the evaluation, investigation, and resolution of complaints while ensuring continued enforcement of protections against discrimination in education. The Department of Education will retain its statutory authorities and responsibilities.
- View the partnership fact sheet for civil rights enforcement here.
Student Privacy Protection Partnership (ED + DOJ)
The agencies will coordinate efforts to protect parental rights and student privacy. Through the partnership, ED and DOJ will provide guidance to schools and educational institutions regarding privacy obligations and work together to investigate potential violations.
- View the partnership fact sheet for student privacy rights here.
Training and Advisory Services Partnership (ED + DOJ)
The final agreement expands collaboration on training and advisory services that help schools provide equal educational opportunities. DOJ will support efforts related to school desegregation planning and implementation, leveraging its expertise to strengthen services currently supported by the Department of Education.
- View the partnership fact sheet for training and advisory services here.
What This Means for Schools and Institutions
According to the Department, these agreements are intended to improve efficiency and coordination by leveraging the specialized expertise of partner agencies while maintaining ED’s oversight responsibilities. The Administration stated that the partnerships will help strengthen support for individuals with disabilities, enhance student privacy protections, and ensure robust enforcement of federal civil rights laws.