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Education Research
A New Approach by the Federal Government
The Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) is a branch of the U.S. Department of Education, which provides national leadership for educational research and statistics. OERI's mission is to promote excellence in education by conducting research and demonstration projects funded through grants to help improve education. They are also responsible for the collection of statistics on the status and progress of schools and education throughout the nation, and the distribution of information to those working to improve education.
OERI, which was due for a re-authorization of funds from Congress, was instead entirely restructured. Along with this came an increase in funding, which will open new doors for research opportunities in the field of education science.
The legislation established the creation of the "Institute of Education Sciences." It will be administered by a Director, and oversight will fall to a Board of Directors (both appointed by the President). Its mission will be to "provide national leadership in expanding fundamental knowledge and understanding of education from early childhood through postsecondary study, in order to provide parents, educators, students, researchers, policymakers, and the general public with reliable information about... the condition and progress of education in the United States, including early childhood education...educational practices that support learning and improve academic achievement and access to educational opportunities for all students...and the effectiveness of Federal and other education programs."
The research agenda of the Institute is also made clear in the legislation:
- conduct and support scientifically valid research activities, including basic research and applied research, statistics activities, scientifically valid education evaluation, development, and wide dissemination;
- widely disseminate the findings and results of scientifically valid research in education;
- promote the use, development, and application of knowledge gained from scientifically valid research activities;
- strengthen the national capacity to conduct, develop, and widely disseminate scientifically valid research in education.
APS strongly supports this call for both basic and translational research, and looks forward to this opportunity for education scientists. For more information on this legislation, visit these sites:
Institute of Education Sciences (U.S. Department of Education)
Transforming the Federal Role in Education (U.S. White House)
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