Statement From Arnold Ventures’ Justin Milner and Kelly McManus on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Markup of the Advancing Research in Education Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec 12, 2023) – We applaud Sens. Bernie Sanders and Bill Cassidy for their work to introduce and mark up a bipartisan reauthorization bill for the Education Sciences Reform Act. Rigorous evidence-based policymaking is a foundational need for improving students’ outcomes in education, and this bill would bring new momentum to that work. The Advancing Research in Education Act (AREA) would help improve access to education data, strengthen the connection between research and technical assistance, and put high-quality evidence into the hands of practitioners across the country – all critical components of ensuring students are able to succeed. 

Without question, more work remains to ensure our federal research investments are rigorous, transparent, and actionable to educators at all levels. We appreciate the open, inclusive, and thorough work of the committee in marking up this legislation and look forward to continuing to collaborate with lawmakers as the legislation advances. 

Justin Milner, Executive Vice President of Evidence and Evaluation

Kelly McManus, Vice President of Higher Education

Arnold Ventures is a philanthropy dedicated to tackling some of the most pressing problems in the United States. It is a team of more than 120 subject-matter experts headquartered in Houston with offices in New York and Washington, D.C. It works in five key issue areas: Criminal Justice, Education, Health, Infrastructure, and Public Finance. Its work is guided by Evidence-Based Policy, Research, and Advocacy.