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• Peggy Carr, the leader of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as The Nation’s Report Card, has been placed on administrative leave by the President Trump administration.
• This move is part of broader cuts and reorganizations within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES).
• The NAEP itself will continue, but contracts for analyzing and reporting its data have been canceled.

Quick Brief

2-Minute Digest

Essential Context

The President Trump administration’s decision to place Peggy Carr on administrative leave is a significant move affecting the nation’s premier student testing program. Despite this, the NAEP will continue to operate, albeit with changes in how its data is analyzed and reported.

Core Players

• Peggy Carr – Federal official leading the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
• Donald Trump – President of the United States
• Institute of Education Sciences (IES) – Part of the U.S. Department of Education responsible for education research and statistics
• DOGE – Informal agency led by Elon Musk, involved in slashing federal programs

Key Numbers

• $881 million – Total dollar amount of canceled IES contracts
• 189 contracts – Number of contracts canceled by the administration, although this figure is disputed
• 100 – Approximate number of IES employees, with about three-fourths affected by the changes
• $9 million – Annual cost of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), deemed archaic by some officials

Full Depth

Complete Coverage

The Catalyst

The President Trump administration’s move to place Peggy Carr on administrative leave and cancel numerous contracts within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has sent shockwaves through the education research community. This action is part of a broader effort to reshape the federal education infrastructure.

“It’s apocalyptic, is all I can say,” said a federal official who wished to remain anonymous, reflecting the widespread dismay among education researchers and officials.

Inside Forces

The cuts at IES include the suspension of millions of dollars in ongoing contracts, affecting programs like the What Works Clearinghouse, Common Core of Data, and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). These programs provide critical data on school quality, effective school interventions, and college finance and outcomes.

Industry insiders describe the cancellations as “an incredible waste of taxpayer dollars” already appropriated by Congress, as many contracts were nearing completion and provided essential information for the education system.

Power Dynamics

The President Trump administration’s actions are being driven by an informal agency led by Elon Musk, known as DOGE, which has been slashing federal programs under Trump’s direction. This agency has been occupying U.S. Education Department offices, accessing sensitive information systems and implementing significant changes.

Mark Schneider, a former IES director, suggests that while the changes are drastic, they might offer an opportunity to revitalize and modernize the department’s research functions, which have been criticized for being outdated and inefficient.

Outside Impact

The suspension of Peggy Carr and the cancellation of contracts will have broad implications for education policy and research. The Common Core of Data, for example, is crucial for real estate websites that help users evaluate school quality in different neighborhoods.

Felice Levine of the American Educational Research Association expressed deep concern about the loss of nonpartisan and unbiased data provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is essential for ensuring quality education.

Future Forces

The future of education research and data collection hangs in the balance. If the current structure is dismantled, new contracts will be issued, potentially leading to a more efficient and modern system. However, this transition is fraught with challenges, including the risk of disrupting essential data systems.

As Mark Schneider noted, “To just throw everything away is easy. To try to imagine how to rebuild some of these essential data systems that the nation needs so that they’re modern, efficient, effective — that’s a much harder challenge.”

Data Points

• February 11, 2025 – Date of the surprise cuts at the Institute of Education Sciences
• February 26, 2025 – Date Peggy Carr was placed on administrative leave
• 189 or 89 – Disputed number of canceled contracts
• $881 million – Total dollar amount of canceled contracts