3 claims about the Department of Education and what it really does

As the U.S. Department of Education shrinks following massive layoffs at the agency, President Donald Trump and his allies continue to make dubious claims about the agency and education in the country.

ABC News examined some of President Donald Trump’s common complaints about the Department of Education and the state of education in the United States.

Spending vs. outcomes

Trump has repeatedly claimed that the U.S. ranks last in the world in education among developed countries while spending the most per pupil.

“So they rank the top 40 countries in the world, we are ranked No. 40th, but we are ranked No. 1 in one department: cost per pupil,” Trump said at the White House last month. “So we spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, but we’re ranked No. 40.”

This claim is not true based on data reviewed by ABC News. The U.S. is not ranked last in education nor does it spend the most per pupil.

The White House didn’t respond to ABC News’ request for information about Trump’s claim. It’s unclear which data Trump used to base his claims.

Even though the country spends a lot per pupil, the Education Data Initiative found an average of $20,387 per year of federal, state and local spending. The amount is the third-highest per pupil (after adjusting to local currency values). The country is not last in any education statistic that ABC News has reviewed.

The U.S. is above average in reading and science, and about average when it comes to scores in math, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). PISA is the industry standard for ranking students from different countries, according to education experts. There are roughly 40 member countries and economies in the OECD and about 40 more countries have participated in the last three assessments. It varies by year — in 2015, 78 countries and economies participated; in 2018, 78 participated; in 2022, 81 participated.

In 2022, the most recently released data, roughly 80 countries took part in OECD’s PISA assessments, which measure 15-year-olds’ ability to use their reading, mathematics and science knowledge. The U.S. ranked ninth out of 80 in reading, 16th/80 in science, and 34th/80 in math, according to the 2022 PISA results.

The PISA results debunk Trump’s long-standing claim that “we’re at the bottom of every list.”

The next PISA data collection is taking place in 2025 — and is expected to be released in September 2026, according to an OECD spokesperson.

However, this is not to say American students are always high achievers. Some results on nationally administered exams have shown concerns as of late.

America’s fourth- and eighth-grade students’ sliding reading scores worsened in 2024, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, dubbed the nation’s report card, which is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics under the Department of Education. Compared to 2022, this year’s average reading scores dropped by 2 points for both fourth- and eighth-grade assessments, according to the NCES data conducted between January and March 2024. That adds to the 3-point decrease for both grades in 2022.

Despite the decline in reading, there was some recovery in math in 2024, but the increase has not returned students to pre-pandemic levels.

And NCES also found nearly one third of U.S. students ended the 2023-2024 school year behind grade level in at least one academic subject.

It is unclear whether this data will be collected in future years if the DOE is eliminated.

State and local education agencies

The Trump administration has stated that through cuts at the Department of Education, they want to return education to the states.

“The president wants to return education back to the states, empower those closest to the people to make these very important decisions for our children’s lives. And … this is a first step in that process,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said to ABC News’ Selina Wang when asked about the cuts at the DOE.

Education is a local level-issue already as the federal education department only administers roughly 10% of public school funds nationwide, according to multiple education experts.

The Department of Education does not administer curriculum or create lessons for the nation’s students. It also does not set requirements for enrollment and graduation or establish or accredit schools or universities.

In fact, curriculum comes from the states and local school districts. The education department doesn’t teach the students taking standardized exams and assessments. The states already do that.

The education department does hold schools accountable for enforcing non-discrimination laws based on race, gender and disability.

The agency also administers funds for K-12 education support programs such as the Rural Education Achievement Program, which supports rural districts that may lack personnel and resources; Title I, which funds programs aimed at improving the performance of low-income and low-achieving schools; and grants for Individuals with Disabilities including the Transition and Postsecondary Programs for students.

Not only does the department administer K-12 assistance, it also helps students pursue higher education through the office of Federal Student Aid through grants, work-study funds and low-interest loans.

Finally, the DOE holds schools accountable for student achievement through the Every Student Succeeds Act, which requires each state to provide data on subject performance, graduation rates, suspensions, absenteeism, teacher qualifications and more.

The Education Department’s mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access, according to ed.gov.

DOE employees showing up to work

Trump has claimed, without evidence, that many Department of Education employees weren’t going to work or doing a good job.

“Many of them don’t work at all. Many of them never showed up to work. Many of them, many of them never showed up to work,” Trump said at the White House on Wednesday.

The White House did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment about where Trump got this information.

Based on dozens of interviews, ABC News reporting has not found any evidence of employees “never” showing up to work, as Trump claimed.

ABC News has spoken to employees tasked with everything from conducting critical research projects to enforcing anti-discrimination laws for students based on race, gender and disability, among other characteristics.

When the Department of Education cut nearly 50% of its workforce earlier this week, an email to those who remained employed said, “Please know that these decisions were not made lightly, and in no way reflect on the dedication and hard work of those who are leaving.”

Joe Murphy, whose position as a management and data analyst was eliminated at the Department of Education earlier this week, said on Wednesday that he felt “disposable.”

“We got the sense that we were disposable in a certain sense, especially those of us in the data space,” he told ABC News.

Victoria DeLano was an Equal Opportunity Specialist in the education department’s Office for Civil Rights serving people with disabilities. DeLano said she believes she was the sole employee within the OCR who was stationed in Alabama.

“It’s horrifying that the Office for Civil Rights, to begin with, is understaffed, but then, when I was locked out of access to work last week, to think, OK, one more person that was taken out of the equation,” Delano said.

“These students have no one else. They can still file complaints with OCR. Please understand OCR is understaffed at best, and OCR right now does not have external communication with you all. So I don’t know where they turn,” she added.

A regional Department of Education employee, who received the reduction in force email on Tuesday and spoke to ABC News on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said their civil rights office was abolished.

Offices in major cities including San Francisco, New York, Cleveland, Boston, Chicago and Dallas have shuttered, and the three U.S. Department of Education buildings in D.C. will eventually be consolidated, according to senior department of education officials.

“All those disabled kids, which is the bulk of our docket, will not be helped,” the employee said.