David A. Richards
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davidrichardsed.bsky.social
David A. Richards
@davidrichardsed.bsky.social
160 followers 71 following 110 posts
Postsecondary Education Statistics.
Formerly: UNCF. NCES. Agora. QEM Network.
Currently: ED FSA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrichardsed/
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Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
Proud to see Agora associate Maura Spiegelman contribute to this AEFP conversation on the future of federal education statistics. Her expertise reflects our commitment to building stronger data systems for researchers, educators, and communities. #AEFP2026
March 24, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
Also, from the Study Group on Innovating for Whom We Measure in the AI Era, there's a February 24 webinar exploring how AI can support more equitable and useful measurement and improvement systems.

Register here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
You are invited to join a webinar: Innovating For Whom We Measure in the AI Era. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.
In an era of multi-modal AI, the opportunity exists to center the needs of learners, educators, families, and the wider community in ways unthought of previously. In addition to addressing how the sci...
us06web.zoom.us
February 11, 2026 at 9:54 AM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
Stanford’s 2026 AI and Education Summit is today, Wednesday, February 11. A strong lineup exploring how AI can support human relationships, trustworthy design, and evidence informed practice:
acceleratelearning.stanford.edu/conference/a...

#AIinEducation #ResponsibleAI #HumanCenteredAI
Accelerate Edtech Impact Summit • Stanford Accelerator for Learning
How can educational technology better leverage learning science? This half-day summit draws together leaders in research, education, and technology to discuss, learn, and advance equitable and effecti...
acceleratelearning.stanford.edu
February 11, 2026 at 9:54 AM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
Good news in the FY2026 education budget. Despite proposed cuts, Congress kept most ED programs funded at prior levels. This stability gives educators and researchers room to plan, innovate, and strengthen systems for kids and families. www.edweek.org/policy-polit...
Congress Has Passed an Education Budget. See How Key Programs Are Affected
Federal funding for low-income students and special education will remain level year over year.
www.edweek.org
February 18, 2026 at 5:56 PM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
OPRE is being significantly reduced under the new ACF restructuring. Independent research on programs like Head Start and child welfare is at risk. Read the joint statement from Data Foundation and Results for America. datafoundation.org/news/press-r...
Joint Statement from the Data Foundation and Results for America on the Restructuring of OPRE at ACF
A joint statement on the decision to drastically restructure and effectively dismantle the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
datafoundation.org
February 23, 2026 at 3:46 PM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
Agora welcomes ED’s plans to strengthen IES. The Northern report reflects several recommendations we submitted last fall, from harmonized APIs to CEDS‑aligned research and coordinated TA, encouraging alignment for the field. www.ed.gov/about/news/p...
March 4, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
Are you smarter than an eighth grader in digital literacy and computational thinking? Test yourself with a real ICILS 2018 task and see how students reason through digital challenges. Read Linda’s new blog: edevaluator.org/explore-a-co...
March 9, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
One year ago, federal RIFs reshaped the Department of Education. We honor the public servants and contractors whose work built the nation’s education data systems. Agora remains committed to carrying that legacy forward with transparency, equity, and care.
March 11, 2026 at 1:58 PM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
Part 2 of our series on universal child care and PreK expansion is out. Jodi Jacobson Chernoff highlights why listening to staff and families during implementation is essential for protecting quality as programs grow.
edevaluator.org/nurturing-wh...
Nurturing What We Invest In: Listening, Learning, and Evaluating During Universal Pre‑K and Child Care Expansion
In Part 2 of our series on universal child care and PreK expansion, we look at how real‑time feedback from staff and families strengthens quality and keeps programs aligned with community needs.
edevaluator.org
March 12, 2026 at 4:16 PM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
Proud to share that Agora’s Maura Spiegelman will join colleagues at AEFP on March 19. Our work pushes for evidence, equity, and systems change that strengthens opportunities for every learner. virtual.oxfordabstracts.com/event/public...
OA Virtual conferences
virtual.oxfordabstracts.com
March 16, 2026 at 7:53 PM
davidrichardsed.bsky.social
#IES and #NCES have announced that data for the 2020-22 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:20/22) are available for analysis on DataLab, here: nces.ed.gov/datalab/inde...

I'm pleased to see these data available and want to share some observations, below: (1/X)
DataLab
NCES DataLab offers public access to wealth of data on the condition of American education. This suite of online data analysis tools (PowerStats, TrendStats, and QuickStats) allow users to create tabl...
nces.ed.gov
March 11, 2026 at 4:43 PM
davidrichardsed.bsky.social
February 10, 2026 at 4:08 PM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
How do students around the world understand and interact with AI? 🤖📚

Read more about plans for ICILS 2028 and AI usage in schools from ICILS 2023 in our latest blog: tinyurl.com/2wkj5vh2

#AI #DigitalLiteracy #ICILS2028
Testing Student AI Literacy Around the Globe: ICILS 2028
In Agora Education Research’s recent blog on the International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS), Linda Hamilton wrote about the study’s role in measuring digital literacy among 8th grad...
tinyurl.com
January 6, 2026 at 9:14 PM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
Averages can mask meaningful differences in school systems.

In our latest blog, we look at how national vs. international datasets (NTPS & TALIS) describe the educator workforce & how disaggregation helps us understand and address equity: tinyurl.com/y55c9fu6

#EduSky #EdData #TALIS #NTPS
What lies beneath? Why data disaggregation matters
In today's data-driven world, the way we analyze and interpret data can significantly impact decision-making and policy development. Disaggregating data allows us to uncover hidden trends and disparit...
tinyurl.com
January 28, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
🚨New blog: Early reading is key to unlocking future opportunities, and smart investments in literacy paid off big time in Mississippi ($32 for every $1 spent!). NAEP is a reliable benchmark that helps states keep kids cruising toward success. tinyurl.com/3xd5ez6u

#Literacy #NAEP #ReadingMatters
Using NAEP for Academic Benchmarking
Education agencies face different choices when determining achievement levels on new and existing assessment systems: What should students know and be able to do to meet the proficiency standard?
edevaluator.org
December 3, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
✨ CEDS & education data standardization
✨ Teacher pipeline: what the data shows
✨ State-to-state collaborative benchmarking
Read & subscribe: edevaluator.org/subscribe
State education folks - would love to connect with you about your data needs.
Subscribe
Subscribe to Data Currents Get the latest updates on education data and research. Subscribe to Data Currents, Agora's monthly newsletter, and stay informed about developments in the education data wor...
edevaluator.org
December 5, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
The smartest investment isn’t on Wall Street - it’s in early childhood.

Universal PreK and child care fuel the economy by freeing parents to work & setting children for lifelong success. @jodichernoff33.bsky.social breaks down how to invest strategically: tinyurl.com/cyja57br

#EarlyChildhood
Seeds of Opportunity: Growing Universal Pre-K and Child Care Wisely
Early childhood is the time to ensure that children are on the road to success. Investing in early childhood works, but only if done right.
tinyurl.com
December 18, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Reposted by David A. Richards
mattbarnum.bsky.social
New—

Emails I obtained show that a top charter school advocacy group is concerned about moving education programs to the Department of Labor.

cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org/p/charter-sc...
Why ending the Education Department might be bad news for charter schools
Leaked emails show the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools landed a meeting with the Labor Secretary, who assuaged short-term concerns. Long-run worries remain though.
cbnewsletters.chalkbeat.org
December 18, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
Preliminary ≠ provisional? A look at NTPS data shows how early estimates stack up against final - and what that means for timeliness vs. accuracy in survey production.

edevaluator.org/fast-and-goo...

#DataAnalysis #SurveyResearch #EdResearch
Fast AND good? Comparing preliminary and final survey estimates
As researchers, we want data to be timely, relevant, and actionable without sacrificing quality. That is, we want data to be both fast and good. For parents, teachers, and researchers, understanding h...
edevaluator.org
November 19, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
Launching Data Currents - Agora's monthly newsletter for the education research community:
📊 Federal data updates
🔍 State system insights
📈 Research & policy connections
💡 Practical guidance

Subscribe here: edevaluator.org/subscribe/

#EdResearch #EducationData #SLDS
Subscribe
Subscribe to Data Currents Get the latest updates on education data and research. Subscribe to Data Currents, Agora's monthly newsletter, and stay informed about developments in the education data wor...
edevaluator.org
November 7, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
Despite increased tech exposure, ICILS data show a troubling decline in student digital literacy for U.S. students. Read more about international findings and implications for policy, data collection, and preparing our nation's youth:
tinyurl.com/m9dwnuaa

#DigitalLiteracy #ICILS #AIinEducation
The Importance of Measuring Student Digital Literacy
As the world continues to evolve technologically, assessing digital literacy, including AI literacy, is essential to ensure students are prepared for the future workforce and to measure the effectiven...
edevaluator.org
November 10, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
How is the United States Doing Compared to its International Peers? How did adult literacy skills in the U.S. change between 2012 and 2023?

Read Agora's latest blog by Tom Snyder. #EducationAtAGlance #OECD #USeducation

edevaluator.org/how-is-the-u...
How is the US Doing Compared to its International Peers? OECD’s Annual Education at a Glance Reports New Findings
How did adult literacy skills in the United States change between 2012 and 2023 according to the 2023 PIAAC assessments? Read our analysis in the latest Agora blog by Tom Snyder.
edevaluator.org
November 4, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
The Pell Institute’s latest brief shows worrisome trends:

🎓 In 2002, 72% of high school students expected to earn a bachelor’s degree.

By 2022, that number dropped to 44%.

Among first-generation students, aspirations plunged from 60% to 33%.

tinyurl.com/yn4fz9jx
The Pell Institute Releases Research Brief Showing Sharp Decline in High School Student Aspiration for a Bachelor’s Degree - The Pell Institute
A new Pell Institute research brief reveals that the share of U.S. high school students expecting to earn a bachelor’s degree has plummeted from 72% in 2002 to just 44% in 2022—with first-generation s...
tinyurl.com
October 8, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
Agora Associate Elise Christopher discusses the loss of NCES longitudinal studies, including High School and Beyond, which won't be collected next spring as planned.
npr.org NPR @npr.org · Oct 7
The federal government has long surveyed high schoolers to help track how their academic choices may have influenced the course of their lives. The Trump administration put an end to that effort.
The government has long researched high school experiences. Then DOGE cut the effort
The federal government has long surveyed high schoolers to help track how their academic choices may have influenced the course of their lives. The Trump administration put an end to that effort.
n.pr
October 7, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Reposted by David A. Richards
edevaluatororg.bsky.social
Extreme weather is increasingly disrupting the educational progress of students. Longitudinal education studies can account for extreme weather events by incorporating administrative data from public sources, but these solutions require support.

tinyurl.com/22dvdd6j
Natural Disasters in Longitudinal Education Data
Without longitudinal education data, it may be harder for researchers to determine the immediate or long-term impacts many of these natural events will have on the persistence and attainment of U.S. p...
tinyurl.com
September 29, 2025 at 5:04 PM