allocated $1.1 billion
in ARRA for “com-
parative effective-
ness research to arm ASA Science Policy Actions
physicians with data
on what works and
ASA president sends letters to Attorney General Holder
what doesn’t.”
regarding Bureau of Justice Statistics and its director.
On education, Orszag
ASA president sends a letter to Senate leaders urging
links a boost in U.S. pro-
quick confirmation of Robert M. Groves for U.S. Census
ductivity from 1960 to 1980 to
Bureau Director.
“educational attainment,” which the U.S. Census
Bureau defines as the highest degree of education
The ASA signs a letter to President Barack Obama on
an individual has completed. Calling educational the importance of STEM Education.
attainment an unappreciated tailwind that is sub-
siding and needing a boost, he points to improve-
ASA president sends a letter to Health and Human
ments in education quality as a way to sustain the
Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius about the ASA
tailwind. But, as in health care, he feels data on
Board’s data access and privacy statement. She also
what contributes to quality education is lacking
offered the help of the ASA Privacy and Confidentiality
and calls for “more rigorous evaluation of educa-
Committee for informing any updates to HIPAA
tional interventions.” As a step in the direction of
privacy rules.
building the data systems needed to make the big
decision, he highlighted the $40 billion in the
stimulus bill to build the longitudinal data
systems to track “students from pre-K to
postsecondary and match students to indi-
vidual teachers.” As an example, he noted
the need to evaluate teachers based on class-
room performance, not credentials.
Federal Statistical Agencies
Further establishing the administration’s com-
mitment to statistical agencies, the president’s sci-
ence adviser, John Holdren, closed out the May 8
symposium’s sessions with a broad endorsement for
data-driven decisionmaking. As Silver notes in his
Statisticians’ Opportunity
article, Holdren cited the importance of data for the With an administration so receptive to statistical
administration’s policies for climate change, health data and appreciative of statisticians, we have a
care, and public investment, particularly for science golden opportunity. Orszag has opened the door,
research. He also echoed the call for buttressing the articulating what the administration needs: data
research capacities of the statistical agencies. for what works and doesn’t work, whether it be for
The budgets for the federal statistical agencies health care, education, or any other challenge we
also seem to reflect the administration’s apprecia- face. Some of this will come from the federal statis-
tion for statistical data. One of Orszag’s slides, tical agencies, but the administration will also pay
which plotted funding as a share of the GDP attention to findings from academia, think tanks,
for the federal statistical programs (excluding and other parts of the private sector. It is up to us
the Decennial Census), showed a small up tick to keep the door open. We must make a concerted
in their 2009 budgets, after an overall decline of effort to communicate findings useful to them, not
20% since highs in 1980 and 1992. Indeed, an necessarily what we think would or should be inter-
examination of the FY10 budget requests for the esting. While the latter has its place, this adminis-
13 largest federal statistical agencies (excluding tration has a clear vision for what it wants to achieve
the U.S. Census Bureau) reveals an average 6% and a full agenda. I will also work with the ASA
increase over the FY09 levels—17% over FY08 leadership to reach out to this administration and
levels—in a tough budget environment. offer the help of statisticians. ■
JULY 2009 AMSTAT NEWS 31
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