AIR Contributes to National Report on Changes at the U.S. Department of Education

The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) recently provided input for a national report titled Education At Risk: Frontline Impacts on Students and Institutions. Released in July 2025 by Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s office, the report examines how recent federal policy changes and staffing reductions at the U.S. Department of Education have affected public education systems, student support services, and higher education operations nationwide.

AIR was invited to share expertise from the Institutional Research and Institutional Effectiveness (IR/IE) community, focusing on the importance of reliable data for understanding the effects of shifts in U.S. Department of Education policies, funding, and staffing. AIR’s contribution helped highlight how changes in federal resources and oversight processes can influence IR/IE offices and the ability of colleges and universities to deliver timely, accurate information for decision-making.

By participating in this effort, AIR reaffirmed its role as a trusted, nonpartisan source of data expertise, supporting the broader goal of ensuring that education policy discussions are guided by evidence and the on-the-ground experiences of institutions and students.

To inform its response, AIR conducted a survey of AIR members in May 2025 to better understand how recent and proposed changes to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) were affecting IR/IE offices. The survey was distributed to 4,853 AIR members and received 476 responses—a response rate of approximately 10%.

Read a summary of AIR’s key findings. For a detailed overview of the survey findings, visit AIR's official report: Impact of Changes to the U.S. Department of Education on IR/IE Offices and Higher Education Institutions.