Within the next year, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) should begin investing in a culture of innovation, new types of data, and new subject areas, and expand data access services for evidence building, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The National Center for Education Statistics is an agency within the U.S. Department of Education responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating education statistics. Due to a rapidly changing education landscape and operational constraints, the report says, NCES should reprioritize its statistical programs to grasp opportunities to deepen and broaden its impact.

The report recommends the U.S. secretary of education, director of the Institute of Education Sciences, and NCES commissioner should work together — not only to ensure NCES operates independently in its production of education statistics but also to maximize its unique value for implementing the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act.

NCES should also proactively embed diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in all areas of its work so that products accurately reflect diverse populations and their experiences, says the report.

This is the third in a series of three reports about the Institute of Education Sciences and was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education.

DETAILS: A Vision and Roadmap for Education Statistics is available for immediate release. Media inquiries should be directed to the National Academies’ Office of News and Public Information; tel. 202-334-2138 or e-mail news@nas.edu.