Re-Envisioning the National Center
for Education Statistics
A Vision and Strategy for Remaking the National Center for Education Statistics, published in August of 2026, offers a vision and strategy for NCES informed by roundtables and broad stakeholder engagement. We are now in Phase II, refining that vision and strategy and developing a roadmap for realizing it—work that depends on continued input from the education and statistics communities, other NCES stakeholders, and policymakers.
Read the report: A Vision and Strategy for Remaking the National Center for Education Statistics, Shelly Wilkie Martinez and Stephen Provasnik (August 2026).
See the press release.
Provide your feedback.
Phase I (complete): With the support of Lumina Foundation and William T. Grant Foundation, we published the August 2026 report, informed by public comments, stakeholder meetings, and three roundtables:
- Think tanks and data policy groups, October 28, 2025; summary
- Philanthropic groups, February 27, 2026; summary
- Visionary education data experts, May 1, 2026; summary
Phase II (underway): With support from Lumina Foundation and Mellon Foundation, we are now refining the vision and developing a roadmap for achieving it, to be published in the fall of 2027. This work will draw on continued engagement with NCES stakeholders and the broader education data community.
Engagement with the broader NCES stakeholder community is vital to our project. We have spoken virtually or in person with groups such as the Friends of IES and at several annual conferences, including those of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, American Educational Research Association, and National Council on Measurement in Education. We are expanding this outreach and engagement for Phase II of the project.
If you have ideas for broadening our engagement, please get in touch. We also invite you to sign up to receive updates and respond to calls for review and input and tell us about your NCES-related project.
Since its founding in 1839 with the goal of improving the 1840 census, the ASA has supported the role of federal statistics in informing decision-makers across government, business, and the public. A non-partisan, scientific professional association, the ASA brings numerous qualities to the discussion on improving federal statistics. Our decades-long relationships with federal statistical system leaders provide an insider perspective on how seemingly small changes can have outsized impacts on statistical integrity. We combine this perspective with regular congressional staff and administration official engagement, not only to inform them of the situations for federal statistical agencies and their needs but to monitor the legislative landscape. Our project on Assessing and Monitoring the Health of the Federal Statistical agencies, begun in 2023, gives us insights and perspective on what statistical agencies need to be effective and efficient. The project’s reports, "The Nation's Data at Risk," and other projects by the ASA over the years serve as trusted benchmarks for policymakers across the political spectrum when making budget and restructuring decisions. Learn more about the ASA and its support of federal statistics.
This project is supported by Lumina Foundation and William T. Grant Foundation and reflects the ASA's ongoing commitment to strengthening the federal statistical system. However, the content of this website and the content of the project’s materials do not represent the opinions of the two foundations.