Advancing Education Through Federal Education R&D Policy
ALI convenes a diverse coalition of nonprofits, researchers, practitioners, funders, and private sector innovators to articulate a vision for America’s education research and development (R&D) infrastructure.
The need for innovation in K-12 education is more urgent than ever. Recent data shows national math and reading scores at historic lows, with widening achievement gaps between high-poverty and low-poverty districts. Yet federal investment in education R&D remains staggeringly low – just 0.5% of the U.S. Department of Education’s budget.
ALI will continue to articulate a vision of federal policy that:
- Supports a stronger, modernized education R&D infrastructure
- Accelerates the development and implementation of evidence-based solutions
- Ensures R&D efforts address the real needs of students, educators, and communities
- Strengthens America’s global competitiveness through improved educational outcomes
Learn About Our Federal Policy Work
See how federal education policy and investments can support education R&D and ultimately student success.
2025 Federal Policy Recommendations
Each year, the ALI coalition comes together to develop a bipartisan federal policy agenda. Our 2025 Policy Agenda, which also includes state and local recommendations, represents priorities identified through extensive coalition engagement, including recommendations from ALI’s task forces.
NCADE FAQ
Read about NCADE, an innovate, ARPA-like structure to drive federal education R&D investments.
Funding Analysis
Read about ALI’s analysis of federal education R&D funding.
ALI’s Federal Policy Work
In the 118th Congress, ALI made significant strides in advancing federal education policy, including supporting the introduction of the New Essential Education Discoveries (NEED) Act in the House (H.R. 6691) and Senate (S. 4841). Sponsored by Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), as well as Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), this legislation applies the informed-risk, high-reward research model of Advanced Research Project Agencies like DARPA to the education sector. The NEED Act aims to catalyze innovations that can revolutionize teaching and learning.
A key component of the NEED Act is the proposal of the National Center for Advanced Development in Education (NCADE), which will serve as a hub for cutting-edge education R&D. This initiative will drive advancements in education technology, teaching practices, and more – and help propel the U.S. education system into the future.
ALI regularly hosts congressional briefings to engage with federal policymakers and showcase successful education R&D initiatives. These events bring together key stakeholders from across the education sector to share evidence and insights with Congress. Learn more about our June 2024 Congressional Briefing here, in addition to our October briefing about IES’ Accelerate, Transform, and Scale (ATS) initiative here.
ALI also works to foster collaboration between federal agencies, ensuring that education R&D is aligned across sectors. Our efforts led to the inclusion of policy language supporting collaboration between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Education (US ED) in the FY 2025 appropriations packages. These efforts paved the way for key initiatives like the Discovery Research PreK-12 Program Resource Center on Transformative Education Research and Translation (DRK-12 RC) and the Accelerate, Transform, and Scale (ATS) Initiative at IES, modeled after DARPA’s innovative approach to bold, interdisciplinary R&D.
Explore our Work
Discover how our work contributes to advancing education R&D to drive student outcomes.
In-depth analyses to inform effective investments and policy making.
ALI initiatives reinforce our nation’s capacity to catalyze research and innovation in education.
Discover insightful perspectives and commentary from our coalition members on emerging trends and critical issues in education R&D.
Reports, letters, and official statements that highlight ALI’s findings and positions on key education R&D issues.