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119-s-5444119th CongressWALLET

New Essential Education Discoveries Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Senator Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]

Introduced

Summary

National Center for Advanced Development in Education (NCADE) would be created inside the Institute for Education Sciences to translate the "science of learning and development" into new teaching methods, assessments, tools, and equity‑focused interventions. The bill would also fund statewide longitudinal data systems to link education and workforce records while requiring strong privacy and governance.

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  • Families, students, and educators: NCADE would support research and projects across early childhood, K–12, postsecondary, adult education, special education, and services for English learners. It prioritizes interventions for accelerating learning for students below proficiency and tools like speech analysis, parent supports, and student feedback systems.
  • Researchers, ed‑tech developers, and practitioners: The Center could award grants and cash prizes, enter contracts, provide technical assistance, and run training and fellowship programs. It would use competitive project managers, independent evaluations, and evidence standards to pick and scale effective approaches.
  • State education agencies and data users: A new Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems grant program would help states connect early childhood, K–12, postsecondary, workforce, and wage data. Grants are generally 4‑year awards with a possible 2‑year renewal, allow up to 10 percent for planning, require privacy protections, and call for coordination with HHS and the Census on Head Start data.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Grants to link education and job data

If enacted, the bill would create a competitive grant program to help states and other eligible agencies build and modernize statewide longitudinal data systems. Grants would generally last up to 4 years and may be renewed for 2 more years if the Secretary finds significant progress. The Secretary could set aside up to 10% of funds for planning grants limited to 18 months. Grants must protect privacy, follow federal privacy laws, describe data lifecycles, and may support linking education data with workforce, unemployment, and wage records (guidance on linkages and identifiers, including possible Social Security number use consistent with law, must be issued within 1 year). The Secretary must publish reports on program implementation within 1 year and again after 3 years, and funding is authorized starting in FY2027 with later years at not less than the FY2027 level.

New national center for learning

If enacted, the bill would create a National Center for Advanced Development in Education inside the Institute of Education Sciences. The center would be led by a qualified Commissioner who must submit a research plan within 6 months and every 3 years. The center would be able to award grants, cash prizes, contracts, and run fellowships and training to improve teaching, learning, assessment, and technologies. It would set priorities including interventions for students below proficiency, collect and share evidence, require independent evaluations, and may reserve up to 5% of yearly funds for administration and technical help. The Commissioner must form an advisory panel within 90 days; the panel would report on priorities and post reports publicly and would end after five years.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]

CO • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]

    MD • D

    Sponsored 9/17/2026

  • Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC]

    NC • R

    Sponsored 9/17/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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