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When a person receives all their news and information from partisan sources that conform to their worldview, we say that person lives in an information silo. One of the most important questions about information silos is how many Americans are affected by them. A second question is whether partisans (Republicans or Democrats) are more likely to be siloed. A final question is whether these siloed partisans drive the policy debate at the expense of moderate voices.

The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) was created in 1980 to consolidate federal education programs into a single Cabinet-level department. Today, DOE houses 17 offices responsible for maintaining education data, enforcing civil rights laws, supporting special education, distributing grants, and ensuring access to education. Some politicians, including President Trump in a 2025 executive order, have called for dismantling the Department. What would that change?

As the U.S. Congress debates whether to eliminate the Department of Education, one of the most important questions is whether federal, state, and local education policies foster positive education outcomes. One of the most important tools for measuring student achievement in the United States is the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called The Nation’s Report Card. What does this data tell us about educational achievement?