The Education Department, under the Trump administration, has decided to halt approximately 170 contracts for the Institute of Education Sciences, as confirmed by sources familiar with the situation.
Impact on Research
The American Institutes for Research, a nonprofit organization specializing in behavioral and social science research, received multiple termination notices on Monday regarding several IES contracts. IES, a nonpartisan research entity of the department, focuses on studying special education and student learning outcomes, among other areas.
Financial Concerns
Dana Tofig, a spokesperson for AIR, expressed concerns about the termination of research projects that were nearing completion. Tofig stated, "The money invested in research, data, and evaluations that are now being terminated is not yielding any return for taxpayers. Evaluations and data analysis play a crucial role in determining the effectiveness of federal programs."
DEI Training Grants Cut
In addition to halting research contracts, the Education Department terminated 29 training grants focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion, amounting to $101 million. One of these grants aimed to train educators in helping students understand complex histories of oppression and recognize areas of privilege and power on both individual and collective levels.
Despite these significant decisions, the Education Department has not provided further comments on the matter.
0 Comments