Fitzpatrick introduces bipartisan New Essential Education Discoveries Act

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) on July 28 unveiled a bipartisan bill that would create a fifth center at the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) dedicated to developing and disseminating innovative, cutting-edge practices, tools and digital learning platforms to help students recover lost learning time from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The New Essential Education Discoveries (NEED) Act of 2022, H.R. 8548, which is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), would create the National Center for Advanced Development in Education (NCADE) at IES by authorizing an additional $500 million to establish, staff and operate the center, according to a one-page summary provided by the lawmakers.

“Congress has a responsibility to provide our schools, our children and parents with the best education resources possible,” Rep. Fitzpatrick said. “Our bipartisan NEED Act will establish a national center dedicated to developing and sharing best practices for teaching and learning in the 21st century. I urge my colleagues to join us in providing the tools necessary to ensure that every student reaches their full potential.”

Additionally, H.R. 8548 would improve Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems and help states better track students’ progress through K-12 and into the workforce by providing $500 million to modernize data systems and integrate data across multiple systems and agencies, including education, workforce, nutrition, and other social programs; and support the linkage of data across states while protecting the privacy of students’ education records, among other provisions, the summary says.

“There is tremendous potential for new research and emerging technologies to help close learning gaps, but these projects often lack the funding and support they need to reach our students,” said Rep. Bonamici. “The NEED Act will make innovation in education a priority and invest in projects that make a difference for students, putting them on a path to long-term success.”

The legislation is endorsed by the Advanced Education Research and Development Fund, the Data Quality Campaign, The Education Trust, the Federation of American Scientists / The Day One Project, New Classrooms Innovation Partners, the State Educational Technology Directors Association, and Tech Interactive, among many others.