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Statement on A Vision and Roadmap for Education Sciences

Mark Schneider, Director of IES | April 7, 2022

Today, NASEM released A Vision and Roadmap for Education Statistics, which focuses on the priorities, products, and operations at NCES. As the federal statistical agency charged with collecting and disseminating education data, NCES is key to how IES provides scientific evidence to educators, researchers, and policymakers. The report highlights opportunities for NCES to adapt, expand, and meet the needs of an evolving evidence-based approach to education policy and practice.

The NASEM panel's recommendations and findings will help sharpen our focus on how NCES can improve and better fulfill its critical mission to collect, analyze, and disseminate education statistics at all levels, from preschool through postsecondary and adult education.

We are encouraged that NASEM's recommendations for NCES emphasize increased coordination and collaboration with external stakeholders and across the research and evaluation centers of IES. A better understanding of the current state of education is key to informing the work of the other IES centers and to the underlying goal of improving the quality of education in the United States.

The report also highlights the opportunity for NCES to explore other models and methods for data collection at scale. Examining new methods while maintaining a high standard for education data is a priority for NCES and IES. These new methods will help us provide high-quality data and scientific evidence in a more timely manner and make this information more accessible to policymakers, researchers, and the public.

We thank NASEM and the panelists for their thoughtful report and look forward to ongoing conversations about their insights.

Signed by Mark Schneider (IES Director) and Peggy Carr (NCES Commissioner)