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 that supports research to understand the root causes of America’s most persistent and pressing problems, as well as evidence-based solutions to address them. By focusing on systemic change, AV is working to improve the lives of American families, strengthen their communities, and promote their economic opportunity. Since Laura and John Arnold launched their foundation in 2008, the philanthropy has expanded, and Arnold Ventures’ focus areas include education, criminal justice, health, infrastructure, and public finance, advocating for bipartisan policy reforms that will lead to lasting, scalable change. As signatories of the Giving Pledge, the Arnolds have committed to giving away most of their wealth during their lives.

Media Inquiries
If you are a member of the media, contact us via email at media@​arnoldventures.​org. Please include your name, media outlet affiliation, contact information, questions, and deadline.