What is the Department of Education's job?

What I mean by that, is...what job does (overall) the Department of Education have to fulfill? Like, what job does the Department of Education have to do?

It was created in 1980 by combining offices from several federal agencies. Its original directive remains its mission today 鈥?to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation. Its 4,500 employees and $71.5 billion budget are dedicated to:

鈥?Establishing policies on federal financial aid for education, and distributing as well as monitoring those funds.
鈥?Collecting data on America's schools and disseminating research.
鈥?Focusing national attention on key educational issues.
鈥?Prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal access to education. Source(s): http://www.ed.gov/about/landing.jhtml?sr...