On Tuesday, March 11, 2025, over 1,000 staff from the Department of Education were laid off. This includes almost all staff from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), which housed the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), one of the 13 principal federal statistical agencies.
For more than 150 years, and predating the creation of the Department of Education, NCES has provided essential, nonpartisan data on the condition of education in the United States. NCES provides insight into student performance in math and reading, the number of STEM degrees are awarded, and how our schools compare nationally and internationally. Public and transparent education data helps hold teachers, schools, and administrators accountable for teaching our children. Education research is how we know what works in teaching our children.
Congress considers education data and research so important that it mandates reporting such as the annual Condition of Education report. Both Republican and Democratic Administrations have used education data to take enforcement actions against under-performing schools and districts.
Running the nation’s education system without IES will be like flying without air traffic control. Local and state policymakers will lack the data needed for evidence-based decisions on education funding, safety, student outcomes, and economic mobility. States, school districts, and colleges will be unable to track enrollment trends, career and technical education participation, or learning loss since COVID. Homebuyers won’t have accurate school zoning information. Superintendents won’t be able to compare science scores across districts or bordering states.
The Federal Government Must Uphold Its Legal Responsibilities
IES funds essential evaluation on programs and education research, including special education research, conducts the National Assessment of Educational Progress (often referred to as “The Nation’s Report Card”), distributes Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems grants, and more. Many of its functions are mandated by law, and all are valuable to students, parents, educators, school administrators, and the public.
NCES is mandated by law to report on the condition of education annually, collect and disseminate key education data, and support state and local education agencies. Federal laws such as 5 CFR 1321 and the Paperwork Reduction Act require the government to ensure data quality and accessibility.
The actions taken make it unclear how NCES will meet its legal obligations under the Education Sciences Reform Act, Every Student Succeeds Act, the Information Quality Act, and other federal laws.
Action is Needed to Restore NCES
Congress and policymakers must act to ensure NCES has the resources to meet its statutory obligations. Stakeholders—including researchers, educators, and state leaders—must demand transparency on how education data will be maintained.
Without action, we, residents of the United States, risk losing our only comprehensive, national source of education data—and leave our knowledge of American education fragmented, and without standards, benchmarking, and guidance on protecting learner privacy.