With NCES down to just 3 staff, what happens to education data?

The education data infrastructure is being completely dismantled, and I feel like it hasn’t gotten nearly enough attention.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the agency behind the Nation’s Report Card, IPEDS, and the Common Core of Data, has been reduced to just three full-time staff. Most NAEP assessments are still running for now, but others have been canceled or delayed, and many long-term contractors have been let go. IES has lost most of its workforce as well.

If we lose NCES, NAEP, IES, IPEDS, and CCD, we’re left without a national lens on how students are doing, especially the ones we’re most worried about. This is crucial infrastructure that even Project 2025 says the government should keep.

I've seen a few reports on it and an opinion editorial, but I feel like this should be a bigger issue. I'm curious if most people even care.

Submitted July 22, 2025 at 08:42AM by DiscontentEditor https://ift.tt/nasSWJq