Amid growing concerns about educational equity and student success, staff cuts at the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) come at a critical time. NCES is the federal government’s primary source for collecting and analyzing reliable, high-quality
education data and plays an essential role in helping educators, policymakers, and researchers understand the challenges facing students from kindergarten through college. From tracking the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to uncovering
disparities in postsecondary outcomes, NCES data has been vital in shaping responsive and informed education policies.
NCES data, from the effects of COVID-19 pandemic disruptions to financial aid disparities, offers a comprehensive view of the challenges impacting college attainment. While progress has been made in broadening access to higher education, significant gaps
remain in completion rates and postsecondary success.
Among enrolled students, 7% completed an associate's degree, 5% obtained a certificate by 2023.
Despite this, over half (65%) of students remain enrolled, signaling that a sizable portion of students are continuing their education, though many without the guaranteed outcome of a degree or certificate.
While 79% of students were still enrolled at four-year institutions, 15% of students had completely withdrawn.
It is even more evident now that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these challenges. The shift to online learning disrupted not only academic progress but also students’ ability to stay engaged.
The shift to online learning led to 31% of credential earners reporting lower-than-expected grades, compared to 41% of non-credential earners.
The stress caused by this shift was compounded by broader social and economic disruptions. 73% of students reported increased anxiety, while basic needs insecurities, such as housing and food, affected 15% and 12% of students, respectively.
The Role of High School Academic Experiences in Postsecondary Success
The journey toward postsecondary attainment starts long before college. Alongside academics, research emphasizes the impact of high school social experiences on feelings of belonging and subsequent postsecondary success.
NCES’s Digest of Education Statistics tables, using data from the High School and Beyond Longitudinal Study of 2022 (HS&B:22),
represent a study of over 18,000 9th grade students from fall 2022 through spring 2023.
Among 9th graders, those in the lowest fifth quartile math ranking groups reported higher feelings of disconnection from school, with nearly 29% feeling like outsiders, compared to only 11% in the highest 5th quartile ranking groups. The pandemic's impact
on K-12 education also looms large here. By 2022, 87% of 9th graders had participated in some form of online learning during the 2020-21 school year. For students who reported receiving all instruction in person (13%) during the 2020-21 school year,
students on average reported higher confidence in math and English skills compared to their peers who engaged in all or some online learning.
Family engagement is another critical factor shaping students' academic success and persistence. Data from the NCES Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey show that while most parents were satisfied with their children’s education, many expressed
concerns about the school environment and academic quality.
Additionally, the rise of homeschooling and virtual learning reflects a shift in parental preferences. In 2022, 5.2% of students received full-time instruction at home, up from 3.7% in 2018–19. Parents who chose homeschooling often cited concerns about
the school environment (83%) and a desire to provide moral instruction (75%).
Student success is shaped by academic and social factors, and the insights provided by NCES are indispensable. The data collected and analyzed by NCES allows us to trace students' educational journeys from 9th grade through postsecondary attainment, and
to identify barriers along the way. As staff cuts and the potential for decreased funding threaten the depth and quality of the future of this critical research, we risk losing access to invaluable data that shows what works and where we need to improve
in education broadly.
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