U.S. Department of Education Rated Among Top Agencies on “Invest In What Works” Federal Standard of Excellence
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education’s leading efforts to use evidence and data in its management, budget, and policy decisions have been recognized in Results for America’s 2019 Invest in What Works Federal Standard of Excellence. Results for America provides a snapshot of how federal agencies are building and using evidence and data to get better results for young people, their families, and communities. Among nine federal agencies examined, the Department of Education ranked third on the Federal Standard of Excellence, with a total score of 73 points out of a possible 100.
The Department of Education received the highest possible scores for leadership, related to federal agencies designating key personnel to lead evidence and data efforts, as well as common evidence standards, which examines how federal agencies classify evidence for use in research and funding decisions. Notably, Results for America recognized the Department for the strong use of evidence when allocating funds in competitive grant programs.
“Evidence and data allow us to see how, when, and where federal dollars can have the greatest positive impact on students,” said Mark Schneider, director of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). He added, “The nation invests strongly in education, and our goal is to make sure that students and taxpayers see excellent returns on that investment. The Department and IES are leading the charge to harness the right data to make strategic decisions.”
“The U.S. Department of Education is among the federal agencies leading the way in using evidence and data to improve its efficiency and effectiveness,” said Jed Herrmann, vice president of state and federal policy implementation at Results for America. “We are encouraged by the Department’s ongoing use of evaluation to invest taxpayer dollars in what works.” Results for America noted that the Department “used a consistent evidence framework for its research and funding decisions, including the prioritization of evidence in its largest competitive grant programs.”
Results for America’s full report on the Department of Education is available here.