Evidence-Building and Evaluation Planning

For more than two decades, the Institute of Education Sciences has supported the Department of Education in building high-quality evidence to inform education policy and practice. This includes rigorous program evaluations conducted by IES' National Center for Education Evaluation.

As part of its work guided by the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018, the Department has developed a multi-year Learning Agenda. That Learning Agenda outlines a set of priority learning questions that supports the Department's strategic goals and objectives. Building evidence for the Learning Agenda is a Department-wide effort, extending beyond IES.

View the Department's current Learning Agenda at evaluation.gov

Each fiscal year, the Department summarizes significant program evaluation activities in its Annual Evaluation Plan. Program evaluations are guided by the Department's Agency-wide Evaluation Policy, which outlines an agency-wide commitment to five core principles: (1) independence and objectivity, (2) relevance and utility, (3) rigor and quality, (4) transparency, and (5) ethics.

View current and historical Annual Evaluation Plans at evaluation.gov
View the Department of Education's Evaluation Policy (152 KB)

The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) amended the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Under ESSA Section 8601, IES leads the development of a biennial plan that includes comprehensive, high-quality evaluations of ESSA and/or related federal education programs, as well as activities to promote continuous program improvement and to assist grantees with conducting high-quality evaluations. The plan is developed in consultation with the Department's program offices and the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development to ensure that activities are responsive to Congressional mandates, address Administration policy priorities, and support the needs of state and local educators and the public. Plans are developed every two years with updates provided in interim years, if needed.

Section 8601 activities supported by funds appropriated for Fiscal Year 2021 and 2022 (274 KB)
Section 8601 activities supported by funds appropriated for Fiscal Year 2019 and 2020 (221 KB)
Section 8601 activities supported by funds appropriated for Fiscal Year 2018 and 2019 (220 KB)
Section 8601 activities supported by funds appropriated for Fiscal Year 2017 (213 KB)
IES Study Planning Worksheet for ED Offices (32 KB)