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PRINCETON, N.J. — (June 22, 2026) — The ETS Research Institute today announced the launch of the Center for Evidence-Based Policy in Education, a new research center dedicated to strengthening education from early childhood through adulthood and career transitions. The Center will translate evidence from large-scale assessment data, measurement science, and applied research into clear, actionable guidance for policymakers, funders, and education leaders. 

“The Center for Evidence-Based Policy in Education builds on ETS’s longstanding leadership in measurement and research to connect what we know about learning and skills with the policy decisions that shape opportunity over a lifetime,” said Kadriye Ercikan, Senior Vice President of Global Research at ETS.

Addressing a widening gap

The gap between the highest- and lowest-performing students in the United States has reached its widest point in more than two decades, according to 4th and 8th grade NAEP scores from 2005 to 2024, with disparities widening even before the pandemic. These gaps reflect deep differences in opportunity, in the resources, teaching, and social and cultural conditions that shape whether learners can succeed. The Center’s research agenda is focused on understanding what is driving these persistent gaps and identifying the policy actions needed to address them, guided by three core questions: 

• Who has opportunity, who doesn’t, and how do we know?
• What policies and practices improve outcomes for learners?
• How does evidence become lasting policy?

The Center's first major initiative is a three-part report series that takes each of these questions in turn:

• The first report examines how opportunity, and the outcomes it produces, is distributed across the American education system, drawing on assessment data, economic indicators, and community-level measures to build a more complete picture of who the system reaches and where it falls short.
• The second identifies policies and practices that have improved outcomes for learners, with particular attention to interventions that work at scale and across diverse contexts.
• The third addresses the translation problem: how evidence-based reforms can be designed, funded, and governed so they endure beyond a single political cycle.

Alongside the series, the Center will release policy briefs, shared data tools, and public convenings that connect researchers, policymakers, and practitioners around the findings.

“Policy works best when it is designed with evidence and is built to last,” said Andrew McEachin, Director of the Center. “This Center exists to help policymakers move beyond one‑off reforms toward systems that reliably foster potential, measure progress fairly, and hold doors open for learners over time.”

Moving beyond reports to sustained national engagement

Unlike traditional research efforts that culminate in standalone reports, the Center is designed to pair rigorous analysis with ongoing engagement and policy activation. It combines commissioned research, an independent advisory body, and cross-sector convenings to bring policymakers, researchers, and practitioners into shared spaces where they examine evidence and shape solutions together.

This approach emphasizes not only what the evidence shows, but how it is generated, tested, and applied in real-world contexts. Through coordinated dissemination, including policy briefs, public events, and accessible data tools, the Center ensures findings reach decision-makers in forms they can act on.

Rather than producing one-time outputs, the Center is built to strengthen alignment across stakeholders, reinforcing credibility through transparency and collaboration, and accelerating the translation of evidence into policy decisions that endure over time. Early partners will play a direct role in shaping the Center’s agenda, piloting evidence informed approaches, and ensuring research translates into real-world policy and practice.

To learn more about the Center and explore collaboration, visit  http://www.ets.org/research/policy-center.html

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About ETS

ETS is a global education and talent solutions organization enabling lifelong learners to be future ready. Our mission—advancing the science of measurement to power human progress—drives our focus on helping everyone, everywhere, demonstrate their skills and chart their path to future readiness for life. We deliver trusted assessments and skills solutions—including TOEFL, TOEIC, GRE, Praxis, and Futurenav—and groundbreaking initiatives powered by our Research Institute. With a global footprint in more than 200 countries and territories, we help over 50 million individuals each year measure their proficiency and unlock new opportunities. Learn more at www.ets.org.