Discontinued Federal Surveys Leave Gap in Education Research
Data-driven insights into the American education system have been a staple for researchers and policymakers for over half a century. These insights, which have been instrumental in shaping policy and educational practices, are now under threat due to recent federal actions.
The federal government has been collecting valuable longitudinal data about high school students since 1972. This data has informed numerous studies, including findings that high school students who take college credit courses are more likely to pursue higher education and those who enroll in at least 12 credits in their first year of college have a higher chance of graduating. However, earlier this year, the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) abruptly canceled these surveys, which were part of a series known as the high school longitudinal studies.
The decision to terminate these contracts, valued at tens of millions of dollars, has left a significant void in educational research. These surveys have tracked over 100,000 high school students into adulthood, providing critical data for understanding educational outcomes. Adam Gamoran, who was nominated to lead the Institute of Education Sciences, expressed his frustration: “For 50 years, we’ve been mapping a timeline of progress of our high school system, and we’re going to have a big blank.”
According to a spokesperson from the Department of Education, the agency is evaluating how these studies align with their national data collection strategy, considering the return on investment for taxpayers. Despite this, the Institute of Education Sciences remains committed to its core functions.
Importance of Federal Surveys for Local Schools
The cancellation of these surveys has significant implications for local school administrators. Quintin Shepherd, superintendent of Pflugerville ISD in Texas, highlighted the importance of these surveys for benchmarking and improvement. “Where do we benchmark amongst others? And if we’re leading, how can we continue to lead? If we’re lagging, how can we find places where we can make improvements?” Shepherd remarked.
These surveys have supported research that informs educational practices, such as the benefits of career and technical education and the importance of taking algebra early in a student’s academic journey. Shepherd noted, “I’ve seen entire systems, entire states, make evolutions towards knowing what’s right and doing what’s right as a result of this data.”
Challenges in Resuming Surveys
The federal surveys, which have been gathering data since the 1970s, are invaluable for understanding long-term educational trends. However, the cancellation has halted plans to follow up with students who were in high school during significant economic and social periods, such as the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Elise Christopher, a former statistician at the National Center for Education Statistics, emphasized the loss of critical data collection opportunities. “We can’t just pick this back up later,” she said, highlighting the missed chance to understand current educational challenges, such as chronic absenteeism and changing attitudes towards college.
Stuart Buck, executive director of the Good Science Project, criticized the cuts, comparing them to canceling essential services under the guise of saving money. “It seems to me that even if you were the most hardcore libertarian who wants the government to regulate almost nothing, collecting national statistics is about the most innocuous and useful thing that a government could do,” he stated.
Impact on Mathematics Education
Latrenda Knighten, president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, lamented the loss of a reliable data source for educators. “Selfishly, for me as an educator in a pre-K-12 system, I want that information,” she said. The insights from these surveys have been crucial for understanding the effectiveness of math education and adapting to rapidly changing job markets.
Knighten described the cancellation as “reading a really good book and getting to the climax and just stopping and never finding out how the story ends.”
Reporting contributed by: Kate Martin
A previous version of this story appeared on APM Reports.
