Center for Research on Human Capital and Education

The ETS Center for Research on Human Capital and Education uses data from large-scale assessments and other surveys to generate peer-reviewed policy research that explores critical issues impacting opportunity. Topics include the acquisition, outcomes and inequities in human and social capital for pre-K–12 education, higher education and the labor market.

Our work in the news

• Report Draws Correlation Between Well-Being and Opportunity by Lois Elfman, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. January 2022
• A troubling lack of skills in literacy and numeracy by Paul Fain, Open Campus, June 2021.
• Asking the Experts: Q&A with Irwin Kirsch, PIAAC Buzz, September, 2021.
• We Are Leaving ‘Lost Einsteins’ Behind, by Tom Edsall, New York Times OPED, July 2021.
• Why Other Countries Keep Outperforming Us in Education (and How to Catch Up): Money from the American Rescue Plan could be our last best chance to build the school system we need, By Marc Tucker — Edweek, May 13, 2021
• What America's kids need now: Biden should marshal the nation to address the dire condition of U.S. children, By Norm Ornstein and James Harvey — New York Daily News, December 26, 2020.
• The Edge in The Chronicle of Higher Education by Goldie Blumenstyk, August 12, 2020.

Recently published blogs, op-ed articles and presentations

• Improving the Utility of PIAAC Data through Development of a Skills Map and Policy Reports, Irwin Kirsch, Ralph Tyler Chair, ETS, and Tom Krenzke, Vice President and Senior Statistician, Westat, moderated by Molly Irwin, Vice President- Research and Science, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Research on International Studies in Education (RISE) Webinar Series, AIR, October 19, 2022.
• Upskilling American Workers for Middle Skill Jobs Requires a Strong Foundation, Irwin Kirsch with Paul Fain, moderated by Amanda Bergson-Shilcock of National Skills Coalition,  Research on International Studies in Education (RISE) Webinar Series, AIR, April 2022.
• Investing in Opportunity by Irwin Kirsch and Anita Sands, LinkedIn^®, March 2022.
• Improving Civic Learning by Irwin Kirsch, LinkedIn, September 2021.
• Creating Opportunity: The Need for Equity and Fairness By Irwin Kirsch and Henry Braun (Boston College), eSchoolNews.com, May 2021.
• When Signals Align, Workers Win By Irwin Kirsch and Anita Sands, LinkedIn^® Blog, March 2021.
• The Path to Literacy: From Learning to Read to Reading to Learn to Learning to Think  By Irwin Kirsch, Anita Sands and Tenaha O'Reilly, LinkedIn Blog, August 2020.