Education Research & Evaluation: What Changes in Federal Support Mean for Education Effectiveness

April 29, 1:00 pm ET

The federal public infrastructure for education is being diminished through executive actions, including attempts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Among a series of actions to reduce or remove federal funding and staff that support ED’s vital functions were deep funding cuts, contract cancellations and staff terminations at the Institute for Education Sciences (IES), an office that provides independent, nonpartisan education statistics, research and evaluation through four major centers (National Center for Education Research, National Center for Education Statistics, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, and National Center for Special Education Research).

Join this critical conversation for an update on what these changes mean for education data, research and evaluation, and the information available on evidence-based interventions and education effectiveness. Learn about emerging needs and talk with funder colleagues about potential short-term philanthropic responses for preserving what exists and imagining a rebuilt education infrastructure for education research.

Event Resources

Links to organizations that are helping us understand the changing landscape: 

• CCRC: Letter From the Director: Loss of Federal Funding to CCRC 
• IHEP - Institute for Higher Education Policy
• Knowledge Alliance
• Alliance for Learning Innovation
• AERA

This event was not recorded.

This event is intended for members and other education grantmakers.

There is no cost to attend this Grantmakers for Education program. Registration closes April 28. By registering for this program, you agree to our Learning Environment Commitment. Thank you for your patience; we review each registration in advance.

About the Speakers

Dr. Thomas Brock
Director
Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University

Thomas Brock became the director of the Community College Research Center in September 2018, bringing more than 25 years of experience in education and social welfare research to CCRC. He is also a research professor at Teachers College.

From 2013 to 2018, Brock was the commissioner of the National Center for Education Research (NCER) at the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). As the leader of NCER, Brock spearheaded a comprehensive research program around improving educational outcomes for students of all ages while focusing more of the center’s work on postsecondary research. He also planned and launched national research centers and networks dedicated to topics such as college completion, developmental education, and career and technical education. Brock served as director of IES for more than a year, overseeing IES’s centers on research, evaluation, and statistics and the release of several major reports.

Prior to his work for the U.S. Department of Education, Brock spent nearly a decade as the head of the postsecondary education division of MDRC, capping more than 20 years at the independent social policy research organization. Brock earned his BA in anthropology from Pitzer College and holds an MPA from Columbia University and a PhD in social welfare from UCLA.

Chibuzo Ezeigbo
Senior Program Officer
The Joyce Foundation

Chibuzo Ezeigbo is the senior program officer for the Education and Economic Mobility Program. She leads the foundation’s college and career readiness portfolio, which focuses on policies that enable systems to help students smoothly transition into post-secondary education and career pathways leading to economic mobility.

Chibuzo has a background in quantitative data and research focused on high school transitions. She joined Joyce from the Academy for Urban School Leadership in Chicago, where she was director of data analytics and strategy, leading data initiatives for the organization and overseeing the development and implementation of several data products designed to inform school improvement strategy in more than 30 Chicago Public Schools.

She also previously served as a senior research manager at the University of Chicago Urban Labs, where she developed and managed its postsecondary education research portfolio. She started her career working on K-12 policy in Chicago Public Schools, including the board of trustees office. Ezeigbo holds a master’s degree in education policy and management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a bachelor’s degree in public policy studies from the University of Chicago.

Bethany Miller
Director – Learning and Impact
Ascendium Education Group

Bethany Miller is the director – learning and impact. Her responsibilities include overseeing a team focused on metrics, evaluations and internal learning practices that strengthen Ascendium’s strategy and operations. She joined the organization in 2020.

Previously, she served as a senior program officer on the education team at The Kresge Foundation and led evaluation and research at Helios Education Foundation. She has also held positions with MDRC and The American Council on Education. Outside of Ascendium, Bethany serves on the board of the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness.

A first-generation college student, she earned a master’s degree in public affairs from Princeton University and a bachelor’s degree in history and Italian studies from Smith College.