What is IES and what does it do?

The Institute of Education Sciences funds education research, and disseminates findings and statistics about education in the US.

Published February 20, 2025 by the USAFacts team

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is the nonpartisan research, evaluation, and statistics office of the Department of Education. Its main functions are funding research to test new approaches to education, evaluating federal programs for educational effectiveness, and reporting data on how well the nation is educating its students.

IES is the smallest component of the Education Department. The department requested $283.8 billion of its fiscal year 2025 budget; the institute accounted for 0.29% of that. In 2024, the Department of Education was the sixth highest-funded federal agency.

IES has centers to support its primary objectives:

The National Center for Education Research supports research on effective education practices
The National Center for Special Education Research supports research on effective education practices for children with disabilities, from infancy through postsecondary education
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) collects and analyzes education data
The National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance evaluates education programs and supports schools with training and coaching to help districts and states meet improvement goals

How does IES use its funding?

The largest portion of the budget request (37.9%) is for research. This includes $245 million for studying and sharing evidence-based educational practices with parents, policymakers, and educators. Another $64.3 million funds special education research for children with disabilities regarding behavior, physical development, and social-emotional well-being.

Another 25.3% of the budget request is for assessment and evaluation, with $193.3 million going to student assessment. This includes the National Assessment of Education Progress, also known as the “Nation’s Report Card,” a standardized measure for evaluating student achievement in subjects including reading, math, science, writing, and history. Meanwhile, $13.3 million was requested for special education studies and evaluations. Special education studies and evaluations measures the effectiveness of existing programs that support special education.

Statistics, which includes NCES, accounts for 14.9% ($121.5 million) of the budget. This funding supports measuring and reporting general statistics about trends in education, including student performance in academic subjects, educational attainment, and postsecondary data about topics including admissions, enrollment, financial aid, and certificates and degrees.

The Regional Educational Laboratory program accounts for 7.2% of the budget ($58.7 million). This program divides the US into 10 regions and partners with school districts, state education departments, and other stakeholders to generate and apply evidence-based practices. This includes dissemination of strategies for how educators can address various challenges at their schools and in their classrooms, like how to assist kids who struggle with math, and methods for preventing students from dropping out.

Another program, Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems, provides grants to states for developing and enhancing data systems that track student progress from primary to postsecondary education and into the workforce. This accounts for 4.7% of the budget, or $38.5 million.

The final 9.9% ($80.9 million) is IES program administration, which funds things like employee pay, building rent, and operational needs such as cybersecurity.