The Friends of Institute of Education Sciences, a coalition of 38 higher education organizations and universities including AAU, sent a letter encouraging House and Senate appropriators to provide at least $815 million for IES in the FY23 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. IES is an independent and nonpartisan branch of the Department of Education that does critical research on education policy and practice.
The letter expresses gratitude “for the increased funding for IES over the past few fiscal years,” but notes that IES needs additional investments to build on its strengths and support broader research. The recommended funding level “would bolster the research and statistical infrastructure needed to develop and scale up evidence-based interventions with the aim of improving academic outcomes, support important work to meet the social and emotional needs of students and the education workforce, and continue to respond to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in education,” the letter states.