type: timeline_event
The Department of Government Efficiency announced cancellation of education research contracts it claimed totaled $881 million in savings, targeting the Institute of Education Sciences and numerous long-term research programs. The terminations, posted to DOGE's "wall of receipts" website, included contracts supporting critical education data infrastructure and research that educators, policymakers, and school districts rely on for evidence-based decision making. Independent analysis by EdWeek Market Brief found the numbers did not add up, identifying four instances where DOGE claimed savings larger than the total contract value listed, raising questions about the accuracy of reported savings figures.
The contract cancellations affected core functions of the Institute of Education Sciences, the federal science agency within the Department of Education responsible for collecting and analyzing education data. Terminated projects included long-term longitudinal studies tracking students' learning from kindergarten through high school, research evaluating strategies for teaching elementary school reading, studies on effectiveness of support for young people with disabilities, and research exploring methods to accelerate math learning for fourth and fifth grade students. The abrupt terminations created uncertainty for school districts and vendors that have come to rely on national data, guidelines, and access to scientific research provided through these contracts.
Some contract cancellations face legal challenges, as several were created under congressional mandates or in response to lawmakers' requests. The affected organizations began laying off or furloughing staff as contracts ended. The cuts threaten data collection for the National Center for Education Statistics, including critical tools like the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study that provide essential information on college affordability, completion rates, and educational outcomes. The terminations also affect Regional Educational Laboratories, Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems, and Research, Development, and Dissemination programs.
The cancellations represent part of a broader assault on education research infrastructure by the Trump administration. IES has suffered the steepest staffing cuts of any Education Department office, losing approximately 90 percent of its workforce since January 2025, leaving only about 10 percent of staff in place. This has effectively crippled IES's ability to meet its congressionally mandated mission. Critics note that without these research programs and data systems, policymakers lack critical insights about educational challenges including student affordability, teacher shortages, chronic absenteeism, and program effectiveness—undermining evidence-based education policy across the nation.