WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal agency responsible for monitoring student progress in the U.S. has suffered nearly $900 million in budget cuts after Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency deemed much of its work unnecessary.
The extent to which the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) within the Education Department will remain operational following the termination of numerous contracts by Musk’s team remains uncertain. Industry sources report the immediate cancellation of at least 169 contracts on Monday, significantly impacting the institute’s operations.
The Education Department has yet to provide detailed information about the cuts. A spokesperson, Madison Biedermann, stated that the action won’t affect IES’s core functions, including the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the College Scorecard.
Education advocates express concern that these cuts will negatively impact the accountability of the American education system.
The Education Trust, a non-profit research and advocacy organization, emphasizes that IES’s work reveals educational inequities and is far more than just statistics. The group stated that without IES, it would be impossible to identify and address educational disparities.
Biedermann declined to disclose the names of affected vendors, citing confidentiality concerns. In response to inquiries, she cited a DOGE announcement indicating that Musk’s team had terminated 89 contracts totaling $881 million, including $1.5 million for a contractor monitoring mail center operations. A separate announcement detailed the cancellation of 29 DEI training grants worth $101 million.
The Institute of Education Sciences is a critical source of information on the state of American education. Nationally, it monitors student progress over time and across demographics. It also evaluates federal programs, and its research informs improvements in colleges and schools.
Last month, the institute released the latest NAEP scores, which revealed continued declines in reading and minimal gains in math among American students in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Congress allocated approximately $800 million to the institute last year, representing about 1% of the Education Department’s annual budget.
Two prominent research associations have jointly requested the reinstatement of the cancelled contracts, arguing that much of IES’s work is congressionally mandated and relies on contracts to augment its limited staff. These groups confirmed the termination of 169 contracts, hindering the institute’s capacity to report on school finances and student outcomes.
Leaders from the American Educational Research Association and the Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics stated that without this research, student learning and development will be negatively impacted.
The institute’s responsibilities include administering the NAEP exam, facilitating U.S. participation in PISA (an international academic progress assessment), funding education research, and maintaining a database of effective educational research.
Democratic Senator Patty Murray, a former teacher and member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, announced her intention to oppose these cuts.
Senator Murray stated that the actions represent an attack on crucial research and data necessary for improving public schools.
Trump has previously advocated for abolishing the Department of Education and transferring its authority to state and local entities. The White House is currently considering an executive order directing Trump’s education secretary to dismantle the agency and urging Congress to formally dissolve it.
The extent to which Trump can unilaterally reduce the department’s spending, much of which is congressionally mandated, remains unclear.
