Dive Brief:
- The U.S. Department of Education abruptly canceled about $881 million in multiyear research contracts on Monday, sparking a storm of protest from groups concerned about a loss of data accuracy and the dissemination of evidence-based practices.
- The temporary Department of Government Efficiency, led by billionaire Elon Musk, said the contracts terminated by the Education Department's Institute of Educational Sciences include 29 related to diversity, equity and inclusion that total $101 million.
- Activities involving the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the College Scorecard and the College Navigator were not impacted by the cancellations, a department spokesperson said in an email.
Dive Insight:
In total, 89 IES contracts worth nearly $900 million were canceled, according to DOGE and the Education Department. The Education Department did not respond to a request for a list of the canceled contracts or provide a reason for the terminations.
President Donald Trump has pledged to eliminate the Education Department, although that action would need congressional approval. As a first step, Trump is expected to issue an executive order in the near future limiting the department's power and responsibilities.
Last month, the Education Department said it had “removed or archived” hundreds of DEI-related outward-facing documents — including guidance, reports and training materials — to comply with Trump's executive order to end federal DEI activities. The Education Department also recently put employees charged with leading DEI efforts on paid leave.
As the education field was attempting to better understand the reach of the canceled contracts, several individuals and organizations expressed concern.
The "robust collection and analysis of data are essential for ensuring quality education," according to a joint statement on Monday from the American Education Research Association and the Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics.
The organizations said the contract terminations will prevent the National Center for Education Statistics from participating in international assessments and reporting data on school, college and university finances. Also concerning will be the loss of future survey data to understand the extent of teacher shortages and chronic absenteeism in schools, they said.
Limiting NCES' work "will have ramifications for the accuracy of national-level data on the condition and progress of education, from early childhood through postsecondary to adult workforce," AERA and COPAFS said. As a result, "student learning and development will be harmed."
EdTrust, a nonprofit that aims to eliminate racial and economic barriers in schools, said the abrupt cancellations jeopardize "our collective responsibility to identify and address" inequities affecting populations including students from low-income families, students of color, English language learners, students with disabilities, student parents, and rural students.
Sameer Gadkaree, president and CEO of the Institute for College Access & Success, pointed to a risk that "core Congressional mandates — including increasing transparency and improving student outcomes through evidence-based strategies — will be delayed and may not be possible.
"Without action, ongoing data collection efforts will be impaired and future availability of basic, up-to-date information will be at risk," Gadkaree said in a statement Tuesday.
But some saw the move as a restart for federal education research.
Mark Schneider, director of the Institute of Education Sciences from 2017 to 2024 and currently a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, addressed the matter during a LinkedIn conversation Tuesday with Bellwether, a nonprofit education research and analysis organization.
IES systems need to be re-evaluated and modernized, said Schneider, adding he wished he could have made large-scale reforms as director of IES. "Do I wish I had even a modicum of the power that that DOGE [has]? Yes, of course," he said.
He said the federal education research arm needs significant rebuilding by people knowledgeable about research infrastructure.
"I think we have to understand that this is not a tragedy. This is not a catastrophe. This is an opportunity," said Scheider.
