In 2002 Congress passed the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA), authorizing the creation of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) as the research, evaluation, statistics, and assessment arm of the Department of Education, and crystallizing the federal government's commitment to providing national leadership in expanding fundamental…

Despite constraints on federal resources and authority in education policy, the federal government has a pivotal role to play in identifying a compelling, high-impact focal point that aligns policy priorities at the federal, state, and local levels. The federal government could play a critical role in expanding students' access to excellent…

For decades, nonprofit organizations have played a vital role in educational technology innovation. "Sesame Street," online high schools, probeware for science and mathematics teaching and learning, and many other innovations now widely used both in and outside schools were developed by nonprofits, including not only universities but also…

Since 2002, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has funded more than 400 research grants through the National Center for Education Research. This document lists the publications that have resulted from these projects. Publications from IES grantees include articles intended for scientific audiences, as well as articles written for general…

Transformation of education into an evidence-based field is a task that will require involvement of federal and state policymakers, local education leaders, administrators, teachers, and parents. Over the past 6 years, a new direction has been set for education research. This report presents the National Board for Education Sciences' evaluation of…

If education is to make significant progress in the twenty-first century, it must embrace evidence-based reforms. Perhaps the most important requirement for evidence-based reform is the development of a substantial set of replicable programs and practices with strong evidence of effectiveness. Educators and policy makers must have a variety of…

Since its inception in 2002, the National Center for Education Research (NCER) in the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has funded over 700 education research grants and over 60 education training grants. The research grants have supported exploratory research to build theory or generate hypotheses on factors that may affect educational…

The chairman of the Committee on Labs and Centers, National Council on Educational Research, policymaking body for the National Institute of Education (NIE), states that education issues cannot be separated from questions of philosophy. Shared values represent an appropriate and useful utilization of taxpayer money at NIE. (MLF)

Describes the history of peer review at the National Institute of Education (NIE) and discusses some broad principles of federal research management and peer review. Notes recent recommendations for improvement in peer review procedures and sketches procedures that will guide NIE in an upcoming lab and center competition. (Author/KH)

This book explains the debates that bedevil education research--for example that it is low quality, or not scientific enough, or not useful enough--and shows how research in education must meet different demands in different places, times and conditions. A major part of the book provides detailed analyses and guidance to different areas in which…

In 2002, National Center for Education Research (NCER) began with three research grant competitions--one focused on reading instruction, one on preschool curricula, and one on student learning from a cognitive science perspective. These competitions resulted in a total of 24 research grants. Since that auspicious beginning, the grant competitions…

This booklet is a compilation of all the research grants and contracts and the training grants that the National Center for Education Research has awarded since its first year. The projects listed represent a new generation of education research--research that is rigorous, relevant, and intended to improve the quality of education in the United…

Despite the need for more and better research on rural education, recent federal policy trends favoring broadly applicable, "problem-centered" research threaten to abandon responsibility for "targeted" populations to the agendas of private and state-based organizations. Rural research funding is discussed in relation to the…

This document summarizes the activities conducted under the National Institute of Education (NIE) planning grant for the new Center on Student Testing, Evaluation, and Standards and the conceptualizations that emerged from these activities. Chapter 1 presents a summary of the planning activities actually conducted under the award, including…

Education is the largest, most broadly based enterprise in America. Education, although a national priority, is a state responsibility under local control. This brochure highlights the United States Department of Education's responsibilities, which generally fall into the following six areas: (1) providing national leadership and building…