IHEP Launches National Project to Reimagine Federal Postsecondary Data Infrastructure
Leading experts will inform a blueprint to restore and modernize federal higher education data systems.
Washington, DC (March 19, 2026) — The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) today announced the launch of a national project to reimagine the design of our nation’s federal postsecondary data infrastructure. The multi-year project—NCES Next: Building a Stronger Federal Postsecondary Data System—will harness the expertise of a national task force of leading higher education researchers, data experts, and policy innovators from around the country. Together, IHEP and the task force will create a blueprint for restoring and modernizing federal postsecondary data to help the field better understand how students navigate college, pay for their education, and succeed in college and the workforce.
“High-quality, timely data are essential for institutions and policymakers to make decisions that improve student outcomes,” said Erin Dunlop Velez, Vice President of Research at IHEP. “With critical federal data systems facing unprecedented uncertainty, our latest project will tackle some of the most pressing questions about how to modernize and streamline vital federal data collections and create a shared vision for strengthening the evidence base for postsecondary policy and practice.”
The National Center for Education Sciences (NCES) is the nation’s primary source for education data and is an independent statistical agency within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). NCES is tasked by Congress with leading federal postsecondary data collections.
Policymakers, institutions, and researchers rely on data and insights produced by NCES to understand student outcomes and guide decision-making. Yet key postsecondary data studies and data analysis resources have been disrupted or outright ended. Many have raised concerns about these disruptions, as well as major staffing reductions at NCES.
The NCES Next project will reimagine the essential functions of the federal postsecondary data system and develop actionable recommendations for a durable, accessible, and future-ready data infrastructure.
Over the next two years, the task force will convene and collaborate to produce a series of papers about the future of federal postsecondary data. This paper series will explore the federal role in data collection and dissemination, leveraging state and administrative data in federal data collections, increasing data access while protecting privacy, and utilizing emerging technologies, including the role of artificial intelligence. These insights will inform a comprehensive IHEP-authored blueprint for rebuilding and strengthening our federal postsecondary data system.
“I’m honored to chair the NCES Next task force and work alongside this distinguished group of experts from across the higher education community,” said Sean Simone, Vice President of Research and Director of the Pell Institute at the Council on Opportunity in Education and former Associate Commissioner of the Administrative Data Division of NCES. “Together, we have a unique opportunity to think boldly about the future of NCES, preserve its most valuable functions, and develop practical strategies to ensure it remains a trusted, relevant resource for generations of students, institutions, and policymakers.”
NCES Next Task Force Members:
- Sean Simone, Vice President of Research and Director of the Pell Institute, Council for Opportunity in Education; former Associate Commissioner of the Administrative Data Division, National Center for Education Statistics, Task Force Chair
- Beth Akers, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
- Kate Akers, Vice President of Policy Implementation and Best Practices, Data Quality Campaign
- Eric Atchison, Vice President for Strategic Research, Arkansas State University System
- Dominique Baker, Associate Professor of Education and Public Policy, University of Delaware
- Jinann Bitar, Higher Education Research & Data Analytics Director, EdTrust
- Brian Bridges, former Secretary of Higher Education, State of New Jersey
- Chris Chapman, former Associate Commissioner of the Sample Surveys Division, National Center for Education Statistics
- Preston Cooper, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
- Jennifer Engle, Research Professor and Director of Policy and Strategy, Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce
- Denisa Gándara, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy, University of Texas at Austin
- Joanna Grama, Senior Principal & Partner, Vantage Technology Consulting Group
- Christine Keller, Executive Director & CEO, Association for Institutional Research
- Carrie Klein, Associate Vice President, State Higher Education Executive Officers Association
- Bao Le, Associate Vice President, Data & Policy Analysis, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
- Clare McCann, Managing Director of Policy and Operations, Postsecondary Education & Economics Research Center at American University
- Amin Qazi, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, AQL Labs
- Nancy Sharkey, former Team Lead for State Longitudinal Data Systems, U.S. Department of Education
- Joshua Snoke, Senior Fellow, Georgetown University Massive Data Institute
- Kate Tromble, Vice President of Federal Policy, Data Quality Campaign
- David Troutman, Deputy Commissioner for Academic & Workforce Initiatives, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
- Thomas Weko, Research Professor, George Washington Institute of Public Policy; former Associate Commissioner for Postsecondary, Adult, and Career Education, National Center for Education Statistics
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