At some point in our lives, we’ve all been reminded that “patience is a virtue” or that “good things come to those who wait.” In the moment, it’s almost never the kind of thing the recipient of such sage wisdom wants to hear. Invariably, it means that bright idea you sought to implement, that high accolade you hoped to win, or that coveted trinket you hoped to receive isn’t materializing anytime soon … if ever. For once, now isn’t one of those times.
I’m happy to share that, this week, four programs from the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) have moved to the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). Two programs joined our National Center for Education Research: the Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program and the Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program. Two other programs joined the National Center for Education Evaluation: the Comprehensive Centers Program and the Equity Assistance Centers Program. Taken together, these four programs place a strong emphasis on evidence building, evidence use, and data-driven school improvement. In short, they are a natural fit for an organization like IES!
Those who have tracked the evolution of these programs know that thoughts of locating them within IES have surfaced repeatedly over the years. Most recently, the natural affinity between the Comprehensive Centers and the Regional Educational Labs was highlighted in Amber Northern’s Reimagining the Institute of Education Sciences report. The time for integrating these aligned programs into the IES portfolio has finally arrived and we are busily welcoming these new colleagues to our ranks.
In the coming weeks, leaders across IES will share more about this transition. Today, however, I’m leaning into my “Director’s Prerogative” to highlight one of them: the move of the Comprehensive Centers program to NCEE.
I first wrote about the complementary role of the Comprehensive Centers (CCs) relative to two of NCEE’s other most well-known programs—the Regional Educational Labs (RELs) and the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC)—in 2019. With a whole year of exposure to these programs under my belt, I had a simplistic view of how they might, in my words at the time, “take discovery to scale.” My working model posited that (1) State and local innovations could be rigorously evaluated by the RELs, (2) the WWC would synthesize those learnings with other rigorous research to develop a deeper understanding of a practice’s efficacy, and then (3) the CCs could support the implementation of that practice on a larger scale. Lessons learned from implementation would feed back to the REL program, which would then spark the next cycle of improvement and discovery.
In the intervening years, I’ve had the opportunity to understand the work of the RELs, the CCs, and the WWC more deeply. But my core observation is unchanged: by intentionally integrating the unique strengths of RELs and CCs, we can better meet the needs of our state and district partners as they work to improve achievement among all learners.
Organizationally co-locating the RELs and CCs is only one part of that integration. Those who are following the forthcoming REL procurement (see our March 2026 RFI here) and the ongoing CC competition (see the May 2026 announcement here) know that we are seeking more intentional programmatic integration, too. This includes a sharp focus on the needs of States, including those articulated in state-developed Learning Agendas; efforts to streamline access to services provided by the RELs and CCs through a “concierge-like” single point of contact; and simplified planning processes and the use of joint REL and CC governing and advisory boards. As we launch the next cycle of both programs in the months ahead, I am confident more good ideas will come to the fore.
Turns out, patience really is a virtue—particularly when it is paired with preparation so that moments of opportunity can be leveraged when they arise. We find ourselves at just such a moment, both within NCEE and NCER and across all IES. Watch this space for more updates in the coming weeks. Until then, your feedback is always welcome at matthew.soldner@ed.gov.
