"ALEXANDRIA, VA, August 25, 2026 — The American Statistical Association today released A Vision and Strategy for Remaking the National Center for Education Statistics, a report from the ASA's project on re-envisioning NCES. Drawing on roundtable discussions with stakeholders across the education and statistical communities, the report lays out a vision and strategy for rebuilding the agency and invites broader public input to shape a roadmap for its future.
"NCES is the nation's principal source of education statistics, producing data that informs decisions by states, school districts, colleges and universities, researchers and families. It also provides essential leadership and coordination of the education data infrastructure across the nation. In early 2025, the agency's staff was cut from 103 to 3, its commissioner was removed and roughly three-quarters of its contracts were canceled, effectively halting many of its statistical collections and production.
" 'There's near-universal agreement, across the political spectrum, that NCES's work is essential and must continue,' said ASA Executive Director Ron Wasserstein. 'But simply rebuilding NCES to what it looked like in 2024 would mean rebuilding the same weaknesses that left it so vulnerable. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do better.' "
