On February 10, 2025, the Trump administration cut more than 160 contracts and grants totaling nearly $900 million from the Education Department’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). IES is responsible for tracking student progress and the effectiveness of federal education programs and maintains a database of education research that institutions and educators rely on to improve student outcomes.
The American Educational Research Association and the Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics, two prominent research associations, said that “without such research, student learning and development will be harmed.” The associations jointly called for the contracts to be reinstated, stating that the cuts would impede the institute’s ability to report data on school finances and student outcomes.