With the U.S. Department of Education staff cut in half since the start of 2025, the future size and structure of the agency is unclear. The education field prioritizes continuity and predictability, so making sudden changes has a ripple effect all the way down to students and educators.
Meanwhile, districts continue to educate students for the remainder of this school year while simultaneously looking ahead to next fall with a feeling of anxiety because many variables are outside their control.
In this environment, each district must focus on the processes and tools they control. At the top of the list: a data system to gather assessment results, grades, attendance, behavior and progress monitoring.
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This gives educators, school leaders and families a real-time, holistic view of student performance. A comprehensive system eliminates confusion, saves time and strengthens transparency at every level.
As federal data systems and guidance are scaled back, relying on local platforms and fostering data literacy ensures districts remain in control of their information and future.
Evaluation and monitoring without federal oversight
In fiscal year 2024, the Department of Education provided $5.5 billion in grants for school improvement efforts such as educator effectiveness, after-school programs and classroom technology. The agency also provided $260 million for independent research, statistical analysis and evaluation of education practices and policies.
With much of this funding eliminated or in limbo, district leaders must be prepared to self-validate their programs and initiatives.
One of the smallest but most public-facing eliminations was the Office of Education Technology, a department that assisted states and districts in implementing edtech tools, and providing evidence-based strategies and policy guidance. Those of us in the ecosystem of support organizations who advise school leaders on new investments will need to step up to help drive efficiency and track outcomes.
Progress monitoring can be complex because of numerous variables, such as academic performance, behavior and life skills, attendance records and more. Moreover, districts use a variety of frameworks to determine whether students are achieving their goals.
Having one resource for consolidated data—without the need to toggle across systems—allows administrators and educators to run real-time reports comparing student growth over time by school, classroom and subgroup. The data system can also be connected to relevant third-party platforms so student testing data can be incorporated.
The reports generated by a clear, consistent software solution can be used to evaluate what tools are helping students grow, providing evidence to justify funding, improve instructional strategy and ensure equity, even without national reporting structures.
Personalized support at scale to drive student growth
Federal funding for special education, rehabilitative services and accommodations for students with disabilities totaled around $15 billion in 2024, and plans to shift administration of these funds from the Education Department to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are still unfolding.
As the structure for national special education or intervention mandates may change, districts should be prepared to improve their ability to personalize learning independently. For example, leaders can look for tools built to help support Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, Response to Intervention and other progress monitoring frameworks.
Through built-in tools in data systems, educators can create personalized learning plans for each student—setting goals, tracking progress and adjusting supports. Teachers, interventionists and families can collaborate around each student’s specific needs using shared insights.
And because the educational jargon can be difficult for families to parse, some tools include AI assistants to help translate complex data into recommended next steps, ensuring targeted interventions are implemented while timely and relevant.
Role of AI
As a former educator, I co-founded an education technology company to make teaching more human—not more technical. I am excited about the rise of AI tools because they can synthesize and simplify complex data at the student level and assist with communicating next steps to families, thereby strengthening engagement.
AI tools have the potential to improve the identification of trends from assessments, standards, metadata and gradebooks. This gives schools a controlled, secure and educator-led way to make sense of their data and ensures local leaders can adapt to changes.
Another benefit is time savings for educators. AI can streamline daily tasks, help identify instructional gaps, highlight strengths and recommend ideas aligned with learning standards.
Whether or not federal education policy shifts dramatically, districts need autonomy, insight and control during this increased time of uncertainty and confusion. Utilizing a unified platform for data can help districts move from compliance-driven systems to outcomes-focused leadership to benefit educators and students alike.
