US math and reading test scores are at a 25-year low. Trump cut the agency that can provide answers
National Center for Education Statistics, which collects critical data to guide policy on learning, was decimated after Doge canceled crucial contracts
TL;DR
- US reading and math scores are at their lowest point in 25 years.
- The Trump administration significantly cut the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a federal agency that collects education data.
- Nearly all of NCES's work was terminated, and its staff was drastically reduced.
- These cuts have hampered the agency's ability to collect data on issues like school violence and college funding.
- Longitudinal studies, such as the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS), were canceled, preventing tracking of student progress over time and the impact of policies, including those related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Researchers and advocates argue that these cuts are wasteful, as significant investment had already been made in the terminated studies.
- Several lawsuits have been filed challenging the administration's cuts to education data and research.
- Some NCES data collections, including those on student aid and post-graduation outcomes, have since been reinstated.