By COLLIN BINKLEY and BIANCA VÁZQUEZ TONESS AP Education Writers
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal research agency that tracks the progress of America’s students is being hit with almost $900 million in cuts after Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency found no need for much of its work.
It’s unclear to what degree the Education Department’s Institute of Education Sciences will continue to exist after Musk’s team slashed scores of contracts. Industry groups said at least 169 contracts were suddenly terminated Monday, accounting for much of the institute’s work.
Some of the biggest contracts were for long-term studies that track students’ learning from kindergarten through high school, a study evaluating strategies for teaching elementary school reading, and research on the effectiveness of supports for youth with disabilities, according to list of cuts obtained by The Associated Press.
The action will not affect the institute’s primary work, including the NAEP assessment, known as the nation’s report card, and the College Scorecard, a database of university costs and outcomes, Education Department spokesperson Madison Biedermann said.
The cuts raised alarm among advocates who said they could hurt the accountability of America’s education system, leaving the nation in the dark on schools’ effectiveness. Historically, achievement gaps have shown low-income students and students of color falling behind their peers.
The cuts are counterproductive and destructive, said Rachel Dinkes, president and CEO of the Knowledge Alliance, a coalition of education research firms.
“Cutting out at the knees the one independent agency that helps improve student outcomes is ridiculous,” Dinkes said.
Musk’s grip on the Education Department was dealt a setback Tuesday when the agency agreed to temporarily block DOGE workers from more than a dozen internal systems containing sensitive information. DOGE has been tasked with slashing costs across the federal government. As part of a lawsuit challenging its access, the department agreed to block Musk’s team until at least Monday while a judge weighs a broader pause.
The range of contracts cut at IES varies widely, from academic studies to logistical support and contracts to participate in international studies. Several deliver research that was mandated by Congress.
In response to questions, Biedermann referred to a social media post from DOGE that said Musk’s team had terminated 89 contracts worth $881 million, including $1.5 million to a contractor hired to “observe mailing and clerical operations” at a mail center. Another post said 29 grants totaling $101 million for training in diversity, equity and inclusion had been cut.
The Institute of Education Sciences is a central source of information on the health of America’s education system. Across the country, it tracks student progress over time and across demographics. It evaluates the effectiveness of federal programs, and colleges and schools rely on its research to improve student outcomes.
The cuts appear to have been carried out under a clause allowing IES to end contracts at any time “for the government’s convenience,” according to notices obtained by the AP.
Among the projects being cut is a study exploring how to accelerate math learning for students in fourth and fifth grade, according to a document obtained by the AP. Known as ReSolve, the project was being led by research group MDRC.
Last month IES released the latest NAEP results, revealing that America’s children have continued to lose ground on reading skills and made little improvement in math in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Activate Research, a small business, lost four contracts and plans to lay off at least 20 of its 28 workers. The company was hired to ensure accuracy and objectivity in reports. When founder Dinah Sparks announced the company was winding down Tuesday, she had a message for her team: “We are not waste,” she said. “We did valuable work for the U.S. taxpayer.”
Another small business lost multiple contracts after being hired to collect basic information on the nation’s schools. The company started laying off workers this week, according to an employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.
Congress gave the institute about $800 million last year, roughly 1% of the Education Department’s annual budget.
Two prominent research associations jointly called for the contracts to be reinstated, saying much of IES’ work is mandated by Congress and relies on contracts to support its limited staff. The groups said 169 contracts had been cut, curbing the institute’s ability to report data on school finances and student outcomes.
“Without such research, student learning and development will be harmed,” according to leaders of the American Educational Research Association and the Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics.
The institute oversees a wide range of work, including the administration of the NAEP exam and U.S. participation in PISA, an assessment that compares academic progress across nations. It’s also a major funder of education research and keeps a database of research that has shown results in improving education.
IES shines a light on inequity and its work is “more than just numbers and statistics,” said the Education Trust, a nonprofit research and advocacy group. “Without it, we are left in the dark, unable to see where educational gaps exist or how to close them,” the group said in a statement.
Mark Schneider, a former IES commissioner appointed by President Donald Trump in 2018, said the cuts give the new administration a chance to rethink programs that have changed little in decades. But so far it’s unclear if or how the contracts will be replaced.
“The question is not what happened on Monday, it’s what happens next,” Schneider said. “If we just swing this sledgehammer, break all this stuff and say, OK, done, then we’ve wasted an opportunity to fix things.”
Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, a former teacher and member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said she will be “sounding the alarm” to fight the cuts.
“An unelected billionaire is now bulldozing the research arm of the Department of Education — taking a wrecking ball to high-quality research and basic data we need to improve our public schools,” the Washington senator said in a statement. “Cutting off these investments after the contract has already been inked is the definition of wasteful.”
Trump has promised to abolish the Education Department and turn its power over to states and schools. The White House is considering an order that would direct Trump’s education chief to dismantle the agency as far as possible while calling on Congress to fully shut it down.
It’s unclear how far Trump could act on his own to slash the department’s spending, much of which is ordered by Congress.
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