For more than two decades, the Institute of Education Sciences has supported the Department of Education in building high-quality evidence to inform education policy and practice. This includes rigorous program evaluations conducted by IES' National Center for Education Evaluation.
Our work is guided by the Department of Education's Evaluation Policy. That Policy outlines an agency-wide commitment to five core principles: (1) independence and objectivity, (2) relevance and utility, (3) rigor and quality, (4) transparency, and (5) ethics.
Learning Agendas
As part of its work guided by the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018, the Department has developed a multi-year Learning Agenda. That Learning Agenda outlines a set of priority learning questions that supports the Department's strategic goals and objectives over a four-year period. Building evidence for the Learning Agenda is a Department-wide effort, extending beyond IES.
Annual Evaluation Plans
The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 also requires the Department to publish an annual list of its significant evaluation activities. We do so by regularly releasing our Annual Evaluation Plan.
Evaluating Programs Authorized by Elementary and Secondary Education Act
The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) amended the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Under ESSA Section 8601, IES leads the development of a biennial plan that includes comprehensive, high-quality evaluations of ESSA and/or related federal education programs, as well as activities to promote continuous program improvement and to assist grantees with conducting high-quality evaluations. The plan is developed in consultation with the Department's program offices and the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development to ensure that activities are responsive to Congressional mandates, address Administration policy priorities, and support the needs of state and local educators and the public. Plans are developed every two years with updates provided in interim years, if needed.