Bennet, Van Hollen, Tillis Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Boost Innovation in Education

About About Michael Legislation News Press Releases Social Media Newsletter Archive Services Priorities Top Issues Child Tax Credit Investing in Colorado Contact Map Español Acerca de Michael Escribe a Michael Prioridades Servicios Visitando D.C. Bennet, Van Hollen, Tillis Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Boost Innovation in Education Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet led Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) to reintroduce the New Essential Education Discoveries (NEED) Act, which would drive evidence-based improvements and innovations for our schools, by making strategic investments in education research and development (R&D). The legislation would create a national center that […] Sep 17, 2026 | Press Releases Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet led Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) to reintroduce the New Essential Education Discoveries (NEED) Act, which would drive evidence-based improvements and innovations for our schools, by making strategic investments in education research and development (R&D). The legislation would create a national center that advances high-risk, high-reward education research projects, similar to the model employed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). “As a former school superintendent, I know our teachers are doing everything they can to help students succeed,” said Bennet. “As social media and a nationwide mental health crisis reshape how students learn and engage in school, educators need better information about what works. Congress can help by investing in cutting-edge education research. This bipartisan bill will help schools, educators, and policymakers make data driven decisions that strengthen education today and in the years ahead.” “To meet the evolving challenges our students face, our educators need access to quality data and evidence-based advancements in teaching and learning,” said Van Hollen. “This legislation would help accomplish that by investing in our students’ success to better prepare them for the future.” “We owe it to students, parents, and teachers to pass bipartisan legislation that identifies gaps in education and better prepares students to become the next generation of the American workforce,” said Tillis. “That’s why I am proud to sponsor legislation that invests in education research and development, STEM, and innovative technologies to develop the tools needed to identify these gaps and help teachers better equip students for the future.” The NEED Act would create a National Center for Advanced Development in Education (NCADE) at the Department of Education dedicated to developing and disseminating cutting-edge practices and tools, such as voice recognition software to assess dyslexia and other emerging readiness gaps, to adequately prepare students to meet the challenges of a 21st century economy. Specifically, the legislation would: Make robust investments to establish, staff, and operate NCADE; Require the Advanced Development Commissioner to appoint an advisory panel to guide the development and implementation of NCADE projects; and Conduct and disseminate the results of periodic evaluations of the effectiveness of NCADE in achieving its mission of expanding education R&D and improving teaching and learning. The NEED Act would also improve Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems and help states better track students’ progress through K-12 and into the workforce while protecting the privacy of students’ education records. This data will help policymakers understand and address opportunity and achievement gaps across the country. This bill is supported by nearly 65 organizations, including: American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, Accelerate – National Collaborative for Accelerated Learning, Advanced Education Research and Development Fund, All4Ed, Alliance for Learning Innovation, America Forward, American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association Services, Applied Learning Insights, Beyond100K, Bipartisan Policy Center, Buck Institute Education/PBLWorks, CAST, Committee for Children, Common Cents Education Consulting, Common Sense Media, Consortium for State Education Support, Data Quality Campaign, Digital Promise Global, EDGE Partners, EdTrust, Education Knowledge Broker Network, Education Reform Now Advocacy, Education Reimagined, Educators for Excellence, EdVenture Lab, ExcelinEd in Action, Federation of American Scientists, Foundation for Deeper Learning, FullScale, High Tech High Graduate School of Education, InnovateEDU, Institute for Educational Leadership, KB Stack Consulting, LLC, Knowledge Alliance, Learner-Centered Collaborative, LearnerStudio, Learning Disabilities Association of America, Learning Heroes, LearningForge LLC, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, National Center for Learning Disabilities, National Council on Teacher Quality, National Girls Collaborative, National