A federal research office dedicated to monitoring the progress of American students is facing substantial funding cuts that amount to nearly $900 million. This drastic change follows an evaluation by a task force organized by Elon Musk focused on increasing efficiency within government operations, which concluded that much of the office’s activities were unnecessary.
The future of the Education Department’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) remains uncertain as Musk’s team abruptly canceled a significant number of contracts. Reports indicate that at least 169 contracts were terminated on Monday, significantly impacting the work of the IES. The department has not provided specifics on the implemented cuts. A spokesperson for the agency, Madison Biedermann, assured that essential functions such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), commonly referred to as the nation’s report card, and the College Scorecard, which offers a database of university costs and outcomes, would remain unaffected.
Concerns are escalating among educational advocates that these cuts may undermine the accountability measures within the U.S. education system and lead to a lack of data regarding the effectiveness of schools. Achievement gaps historically show that low-income students and students of color tend to lag behind their counterparts in academic performance. Rachel Dinkes, the president and CEO of the Knowledge Alliance, a coalition of education research organizations, expressed that the cuts are not only damaging but also counterproductive. She voiced her frustration, stating that dismantling independent agencies that work to enhance student outcomes is unfathomable. Dinkes emphasized the crucial role that education plays in bolstering the economy and criticized the cuts for jeopardizing improvements in the educational framework.
The Education Department has been reticent in revealing the identities of the vendors impacted by the cancellation of contracts, citing the sensitive nature of business information and the potential reputational harm to contractors involved. In a response regarding this matter, Biedermann referenced a social media post from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which detailed the termination of 89 contracts valued at $881 million, including a $1.5 million contract related to the oversight of mailing and clerical functions at a mail center. Additionally, 29 grants aimed at promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, totaling $101 million, were also cut.
The IES serves as a pivotal resource for information on the status of education in the United States. It monitors student advancement across different demographics and assesses the effectiveness of federal education programs, with schools and colleges relying on its research to foster student achievement. Notably, among the canceled contracts is a vital study designed to enhance math learning for fourth and fifth graders named ReSolve, which was being executed by the research group MDRC. An official notice mandated MDRC to halt the project “for the government’s convenience.”
Recently, IES published the most recent NAEP findings, which revealed concerning trends: American students have continued to struggle with reading skills and have seen minimal gains in math following disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, Congress allocated approximately $800 million to the institute, equating to about 1% of the Education Department’s total annual budget.
Professional research associations have jointly appealed for the restoration of these contracts, asserting that a considerable portion of IES activities is mandated by legislation and that its operations significantly depend on contracting, given its limited staffing. They caution that cessation of this research could negatively impact student learning and development. The leaders of the American Educational Research Association and the Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics noted that the cuts would hinder IES’s capacity to provide critical data on educational finances and student outcomes.
The institute plays a vital role in a multitude of endeavors, such as administering the NAEP exam and managing U.S. participation in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which evaluates academic progress on a global scale. Additionally, IES is a significant funder of education research and maintains a database highlighting studies that have proven effective in improving educational outcomes.
Education equity is a key focus of IES, and its work transcends mere statistics, according to the Education Trust, a nonprofit organization engaged in research and advocacy. They warned that without such data and research, it would become increasingly difficult to identify existing educational gaps or devise strategies to address them.
Democratic Senator Patty Murray, who has a background in teaching and serves on the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, has committed to advocating against these cuts. She criticized the situation, calling out what she perceives as the inappropriate actions of an “unelected billionaire” undermining the research capabilities of the Education Department. Murray argued that terminating established contracts is a clear case of wastefulness.
The initiative to eliminate the Education Department has also been a prominent point during Trump’s administration, advocating for the decentralization of its responsibilities to individual states and local school systems. Discussions are ongoing within the White House about measures to facilitate the dismantling of this agency, although the extent to which Trump can unilaterally affect the department’s budget, much of which is governed by Congressional allocations, remains uncertain.
