The second Trump Administration is seeking to diminish the role of the federal government in PK-12 public education by dismantling the U.S. Department of Education and turning authority over to states and local communities. However, despite assertions to the contrary, the administration has provided no evidence that federal oversight has negatively impacted the American education system, and it is probable that the sweeping budget cuts and staff reductions will cause significant harm to students. Instead, the Trump Administration’s actions may allow states to divert funding away from the intended recipients, particularly students from low-income families, English learners, and students with disabilities.
On March 20, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order arguing that the U.S. Department of Education should be closed and authority over education be returned to states and local communities.
Preceding this executive order, the Department had already initiated a reduction in force cutting nearly 50% of its staff and impacting all divisions, including decimating staffing at the Institute for Education Statistics (IES) and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). In February, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had already terminated dozens of contracts for evaluation studies and data collection.
The Trump administration further demonstrated its commitment to these priorities with the release of its FY26 Budget Request, which reduces the Department’s budget by $12 billion (15.3%), consolidates 18 Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) programs into a single program with $4.5 billion fewer dollars (-70%), consolidates Individuals with Disabilities Education (IDEA) funding into one program, and eliminates all federal funding for Language Instruction for English Learners (Title III of ESSA) and Migrant Education. The request highlights “streamlined, flexible funding directly to the states,” potentially allowing states to drift from the programs’ intended goals and allowing states to divert funding away from the intended recipients. The budget also signals an adherence to the goals of Project 2025, which calls for block granting and funding reductions for many critical programs, including IDEA and Title I.
The rapidly changing political climate raises urgent questions that advocates, researchers and policymakers must confront:
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What role should the federal government play in the delivery of educational opportunity?
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How will the dismantling of the Education Department impact the quality and efficacy of programs that are supported through federal funding?
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How effective have federal programs been in delivering on their intended goals to improve equity, expand opportunity, and support students facing particular challenges?
The answers to these questions must be grounded in research and bring clarity to a complicated story of both successes and challenges. That requires expertise in evaluating research and the ability to sift through dozens of studies, often with conflicting findings. To accomplish this, ELC is partnering with researchers skilled in using evidence to advocate for policies and practices that will improve students’ lives.
Our Partners
Dr. Cara Jackson holds a PhD in Education Policy from the University of Maryland, is Research Manager at the Center for Outcomes Based Contracting at the Southern Education Foundation and is the founder of Evidence Use in Action. She has over twenty years of experience leading research initiatives and fostering strategic partnerships with education leaders at the local, state, and federal levels.
Dr. Alyn Turner holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a senior research director at Research for Action where she specializes in designing and conducting mixed-methods evaluations and research studies to document the effectiveness, scalability, and sustainability of interventions to improve educational outcomes and advance a just education system.
Focus Areas
English Language Acquisition (Title III)
Federal support for English learners is currently under threat in the nation’s public schools. English learners have been and will be directly affected by the Trump Administration’s attempts to dismantle the Education Department through executive orders that undermine students’ rights, the massive reduction in staff at key federal offices that support effective instruction and enforce civil rights, and a budget proposal that eliminates $890 million in federal funding for English Language Acquisition (Title III).
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Federal Support for English Learners Q&A [coming soon]
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Evidence Review of Title III Programs [coming soon]
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Key Talking Points [coming soon]