by Corinna Turbes
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) took a significant stride by unveiling a draft of bipartisan legislation called the Advancing Research and Education Act (AREA) on December 5, 2023. The draft legislation aims to revitalize the Education Sciences Research Act (ESRA), emphasizing enhancements to the research and data infrastructure crucial for understanding America's education system.
AREA aligns with many recommendations from the Data Foundation, particularly related to expediting surveys on emerging educational topics. Measures included in AREA will empower the National Center for Education Statistics to furnish more responsive data for informed policy decisions. The bill also proposes to reinforce the education data infrastructure through improvements to the Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) grant program. Strengthening these systems will enable states to interlink data across various educational stages and workforce programs – enhancing policymaking and overall outcomes for students.
The Data Foundation is actively collaborating with peer organizations, partners, and the Committee to improve our national data ecosystem. On December 6, 2023, the Data Foundation provided comments to the Committee, including highlighting the importance of connecting the reauthorization to the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act, which became law in 2019. Other suggestions from the Data Foundation include (1) adjusting the definition of “evidence-based” included in the draft bill to promote clarity and effective implementation, (2) language that promotes collaboration with the National Secure Data Service project at the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics at the National Science Foundation, presenting an opportunity for joint analysis on educational topics, and (3) proposing a duty for the Institute of Education Sciences to coordinate research and evidence-building with relevant departments, like the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services, to bolster education and workforce policies. The Data Foundation also supported comments provided by the Learning Systems Leadership Network, most critically to call for “continuous learning” in the legislation.
ESRA has been implemented effectively for over two decades, yet there are clear areas for improvements and enhancement based on recent evaluation, advances in the field, and changes in data and evidence policy. The draft AREA legislation from the Senate HELP Committee is a major step toward modernizing our education data and evaluation infrastructure. The legislation is also a testament to the ability of Congress to work in a bipartisan fashion to effectively engage with stakeholders to produce meaningful legislation.
The Data Foundation is enthusiastic about advancing the process in the Senate and eagerly anticipates a dialogue with the House of Representatives. The Data Foundation – and the members of our Data Coalition community – strongly encourages the Senate to swiftly consider and advance this bill, marking a vital milestone in bolstering our education system and the ability to have relevant, meaningful, valid, and reliable data and evidence to support decision-makers, administrators, parents, and learners.
Corinna Turbes is the Director of Data Policy