What This Means for You
- K–12 Schools: Districts may use existing federal funds to adopt team-based “strategic staffing” models that pair multiple educators with the same group of students.
- Colleges and Universities: New foreign funding data is now publicly searchable, and institutions face continued federal scrutiny over disclosure compliance.
- Students and Families: Proposed accreditation rule changes, FAFSA updates, and ongoing civil rights investigations could affect higher education access and oversight.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Education announced a series of policy updates and enforcement actions this week affecting K–12 schools, colleges and universities, and federal student aid programs.
Among the changes, the department issued guidance encouraging states and school districts to use existing federal funds to support “strategic staffing” models — a team-based approach that replaces the traditional one-teacher, one-classroom structure with at least two educators sharing responsibility for the same group of students during the same instructional period.
Under the guidance, districts may use Title II, Part A funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to support differentiated teaching roles, mentoring for new educators, teacher residency programs, job-embedded professional development, and leadership training. Title I funds may also be used in eligible schoolwide programs.
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education Kirsten Baesler said the approach is intended to improve academic achievement by expanding instructional flexibility and educator support.
Foreign Funding Portal Expands Public Disclosure
The department also released 2025 data on foreign gifts and contracts reported by American colleges and universities under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, which requires institutions receiving federal financial aid to disclose foreign funding totaling $250,000 or more annually.
According to the department, more than 8,300 foreign transactions worth over $5.2 billion were reported in 2025. Since the law’s enactment in 1986, institutions have disclosed a cumulative $67.6 billion in foreign funding.
The newly upgraded public reporting portal includes additional data elements and visualization tools, allowing the public to review funding sources and institutional recipients. The department said more than $2 billion in foreign gifts and contracts were reported late in 2025, which it characterized as violations of statutory requirements.
The department has initiated four investigations since January 2025 into Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Michigan related to foreign funding disclosures.
Proposed Rule on Accreditation Terminology
The department issued a proposed interpretive rule clarifying that accrediting agencies should not describe themselves as “regional” accreditors.
Federal law requires institutions to be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency. The department eliminated regulatory distinctions between “regional” and “national” accreditors in 2019. However, officials said continued use of the “regional” label may create confusion for students and affect credit transfers and professional licensure.
Public comments on the proposed rule may be submitted at www.regulations.gov through March 19.
Civil Rights Investigation in Washington State
The department’s Office for Civil Rights opened a directed investigation into Puyallup School District in Washington state following reports that a female wrestler was allegedly sexually assaulted during a competition designated for girls.
The investigation will examine whether the district violated Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education programs receiving federal funding, by permitting a male competitor to participate in female athletics and access girls’ locker rooms, and by its response to the reported assault. The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office has opened a separate criminal investigation.
FAFSA Development for 2027–28 Begins
The department also published an information collection initiating development of the 2027–28 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), with the goal of launching the form by October 1, 2026.
Officials said recent FAFSA updates include simplified contributor invitations, faster StudentAid.gov account verification, data pre-population for returning students, and fraud prevention measures. The public may submit comments on the upcoming FAFSA form at www.regulations.gov through April 14.
Tribal Consultation and Interagency Coordination
Separately, the Departments of Education, Interior, and Labor hosted a consultation with more than 1,000 Tribal leaders regarding the Education Department’s Indian Education Partnership. Under interagency agreements announced in November 2025, the Department of the Interior will assume a greater administrative role in certain Indian education programs, while the Department of Labor will expand workforce coordination efforts.
The public comment period on the consultation remains open through March 12.
The department said it will continue releasing updates as these initiatives move through the regulatory and public comment process.
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