Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced Dr. Matthew Soldner will serve as the Acting Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Matthew has served as the Acting Director of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) since April 2024.
Dr. Soldner will work alongside Senior Advisor Dr. Amber Northern, NCES staff, and IES staff to ensure all NCES reports and products are usable and relevant to researchers, educators, education leaders, and other stakeholders. He will also oversee the ongoing preparation and administration of the 2026 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in January 2026, which the Administration confirmed this spring is on track.
“Matt is a dedicated researcher and leader who will play a key role in the Administration’s efforts to reshape NCES,” said Senior Advisor Dr. Amber Northern. “We are excited to elevate Matt to this new role to continue his work on the National Assessment of Educational Progress and other critical education assessments.”
“I began my career in federal service at NCES and am excited for the opportunity to return there as Acting Commissioner,” said NCES Acting Commissioner Matthew Soldner. “NCES has a long history of producing relevant, accurate, and objective statistical data about our nation’s education system that are critical for policymakers, educators, and parents alike. I look forward to extending that legacy and to recommitting NCES to providing objective, neutral, and non-ideological information and statistics as we work toward a modernized and reimagined IES.”
About Matt Soldner
Dr. Matthew Soldner is the Acting Director of the Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) and Acting Commissioner of its National Center for Education Statistics. Most recently, he served as IES’s Commissioner of the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE), a position he began in 2018.
Dr. Soldner holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland’s College of Education. His interests include the use of rigorous evidence to improve education policy and practice and the implementation and evaluation of efforts to improve learners’ postsecondary and workforce outcomes.