FY 1998 Budget Summary

• F. EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT
  • Overview
  • National Education Research Institutes
  • Regional Educational Laboratories
  • National Dissemination Activities
  • Statistics
  • Assessment
  • Eisenhower Professional Development Federal Activities
    • National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
  • Technology Innovation Challenge Grants
  • Regional Technology in Education Consortia
  • Star Schools
  • Ready to Learn Television
  • Telecommunications Demonstration Project for Mathematics
  • Fund for the Improvement of Education
  • Javits Gifted and Talented Education
  • Eisenhower Regional Mathematics and Science Education Consortia
  • After-School Learning Centers
  • National Writing Project
  • Civic Education
  • International Education Exchange

F. EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT

Overview

The activities of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, which build knowledge about education and help stimulate improvements in educational policy and practice, provide essential support for the improvement of American education. OERI-supported activities include the research and development programs of the five National Research Institutes; the applied research, development, and technical assistance activities of the 10 Regional Educational Laboratories; dissemination activities and the National Library of Education; and the statistics and assessment programs of the National Center for Education Statistics.

OERI also supports a number of direct grant programs designed to advance or demonstrate nationally significant strategies for improving teaching and learning, especially through the use of technology and professional development for teachers.

The budget request for OERI activities in 1998 is $510.7 million, an increase of $112.6 million over the 1997 appropriation. New investments in research and development would support field-initiated studies in the areas of early childhood education, curriculum and teaching, the achievement of elementary and secondary students, the education of at-risk children, education policy and finance, and postsecondary education and lifelong learning. OERI also would continue important new work, begun in 1997, related to improving teaching and student achievement in reading and mathematics.

Complementing the research program, the statistics and assessment programs would provide the kinds of education-related information that will be needed as States, districts, and schools continue reforms that change what students study, how they are taught, and how their performance is measured.

The direct grant programs in this account would serve the OERI mission of building knowledge and sharing successful strategies through support for demonstrations in various areas or aspects of education. Most notable is the investment in educational technology, including support for challenge grants that would engage a variety of partners in designing and demonstrating powerful examples of the effective use of technologies to improve curriculum, teaching, and student learning. A major new investment proposed for 1998 is support for after-school programs designed to enhance the education of young people through tutoring, mentoring, and drug abuse and violence prevention activities.

National Education Research Institutes

The 1998 request includes an $8.3 million or 15 percent increase in funding to support the research and development activities of five national research institutes: the NationalInstitute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and Assessment; the National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students; the National Institute on Educational Governance, Finance, Policymaking, and Management; the National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education; and the National Institute on Postsecondary Education, Libraries, and Lifelong Learning.

The institutes support university-based, national research and development centers to carry out sustained, long-term research and development to address important education problems; a field-initiated studies program in which the research topics and methods are determined by the investigators; and other research and development projects to address the national priorities identified by OERI and the National Educational Research Policy and Priorities Board. The 1998 increase would support 25 additional field-initiated studies so that approximately 100 studies would be underway across the Nation.

OERI-supported research has provided dramatic gains in knowledge about how children learn and about more effective methods for teaching them. For example, systematic inquiry in cognitive science, communications theory, and linguistics has provided insights into how children learn the basics of reading, which are being successfully applied in many State and local efforts to improve the teaching of reading. Similarly, research on the education of disadvantaged students has shown that students who fall behind in their studies should not be removed from the regular classroom and given low-level, remedial instruction, but instead should be provided with an enriched, high-quality program. Current and future OERI research will build upon these and other accomplishments to expand further our knowledge of what works in education.

Regional Educational Laboratories

The 1998 request includes a $2.5 million or 4.9 percent increase to support an evaluation of the 10 regional educational laboratories. These laboratories help States, districts, and schools in their efforts to implement effective education reforms through applied research, development of materials and strategies, and training and technical assistance activities. To assist in carrying out its responsibilities, each regional laboratory is advised by a governing board of policymakers, including Chief State School Officers, researchers, and teachers who represent the concerns and interests across its region.

In addition to providing services to meet regional needs, each laboratory provides leadership, acts as an expert resource, and conducts basic and applied research, dissemination, and technical assistance in a designated specialty area. Specialty areas include: curriculum, learning, and instruction; assessment and accountability; educational technology; rural education; urban education; language and cultural diversity; early childhood education; and school change process.

National Dissemination Activities

For 1998, the request includes a small increase for national education dissemination activities. Funds would continue to support the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), which provides users with ready access to an extensive body of education-related literature and materials. In addition, funds would support the National Library of Education, which serves as the central location within the Federal Government for information about education, provides comprehensive reference services on matters related to education, and promotes a greater sharing of resources among libraries and archives with significant collections in the area of education.

Support would continue for the Department’s award-winning INet and World Wide Web services, which provide thousands of parents, educators, and policymakers with quick and easy access to Department programs, publications, statistics, and related resources on the Internet. Funds would also support activities of the National Research Policy and Priorities Board, which will assist OERI in translating the new national education research priorities into research and development projects that will aid policymakers and practitioners in their education improvement efforts.

Statistics

The 1998 request includes a $16.3 million or 33 percent increase to support the data collection, analysis, and reporting activities of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). NCES data are used by local, State, and Federal policymakers to gauge the effects of reforms and the return of investments in education, and to make decisions about educational policy and planning. In addition, NCES databases and publications are widely used by educators, researchers, and others interested in education.

The request includes funds for a program of statistics that has evolved over the past 10 years in response to legislation, evaluation, and particular data needs and in consultation with education researchers, data providers, and data users. The statistics programs provide general statistics about the condition of, and trends in, education. They also provide data to monitor reform and progress toward the National Education Goals and to support theresearch agenda of OERI. NCES also is planning to meet the statistical needs of the future with new technologies, training, data development and analysis, and methodological studies that will make it an even more efficient organization and its data more useful for parents and teachers, administrators, and policymakers.

Increased funding in 1998 would support expanded data collection for the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, including the addition of a birth cohort; a new longitudinal study of high school students; regular international assessments; and a new study of adult literacy. The request also would ensure a four-year cycle for the National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey, as well as the addition of school crime questions to the Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Survey.

In addition, the request would provide infrastructure support for local school districts to update the Third International Mathematics and Science Study data for grades 4,8, and 12; and would fund the National Assessment of Educational Progress reading assessments.

Assessment

The 1998 request includes a $5.8 million or 18 percent increase for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Data on student achievement are essential for providing the public with reliable information about the condition of American education, and NAEP is the only source of nationally representative data. NAEP is used widely to judge the overall effectiveness of national educational improvement efforts and is the primary source of information for assessing and reporting progress toward the National Education Goal of ensuring student competency over challenging subject matter.

In 1998, national assessments will be conducted in reading, writing, and civics at grades four, eight, and twelve, and State assessments will be conducted in reading at grades four and eight and writing at grade eight. In particular, the national reading assessment is expected to provide valuable trend data since it will be the fourth biennial assessment in this critical area since 1992.

Eisenhower Professional Development Federal Activities

The Eisenhower Professional Development Federal Activities program supports nationally significant activities that promote long-term improvement in professional development. The 1998 request includes a major increase to further the goals of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The NBPTS administers a voluntary assessment and certification process for teachers based on national standards of excellence. Teachers benefit from the opportunity provided by NBPTS to test and compare their skills against objective, peer-developed criteria for advanced practice, and many States and school districts provide monetary and employment rewards for certification.

Increased funding will speed the development of assessments in more than 30 specialty areas; only six areas of certification are currently available. The request would also provide support designed to enable more teachers to take the assessments, in order to help reach the target—set by the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future—of certifying 105,000 teachers by the year 2006.

Eisenhower Federal Activities funds will also be used to support the Mathematics and Science Education Clearinghouse, and for professional development activities based on the findings of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study.

Technology Innovation Challenge Grants

The Department requests an $18 million or 32 percent increase to expand the Technology Innovation Challenge Grants, which support the development of high-quality uses of technology for schools through local partnerships among educators, business, and industry. Since the program’s inception in 1995, the Department has made 43 5-year awards and anticipates making an additional 20 new awards in both 1997 and 1998. Each year the number and quality of applications from potential partnerships continue to grow, with almost 600 applications received in 1996. In addition, challenge grant consortium partners are matching Department funds with total commitments exceeding Federal dollars by a 3-1 margin.

These grants accelerate the local development and widespread use of innovative applications of technology that help improve student achievement. For example, a grant to Waukegan, Illinois, helped to establish the Technology and Learning Collaborative, which has created a community-wide math and science program that directly benefits 7,000 students. The much-needed demonstration of strategies and new uses of technology should result in models useful to communities across the country.

Regional Technology in Education Consortia

The Department requests level funding for Regional Technology in Education Consortia. This program supports six regional consortia which help States, districts, and schools integrate technology with teaching and learning. Each consortium develops a regional program of professional development, technical assistance, and dissemination of information that addresses the particular needs of educators and learners in its service area. As more States and schools develop strategic plans and make substantial investments in technology, the consortia provide reliable information on long-term costs, compatibility among systems, hardware, and software, as well as on teacher needs and effective instructional uses of technology.

Star Schools

The 1998 request for Star Schools would continue support for demonstrations of the potential of technology to create powerful new learning opportunities and improve teaching and learning. Star Schools provides high-quality instruction to students in schools that could not otherwise provide it. Multistate providers of telecommunications services that have both technical and educational expertise provide instruction in academic subjects, various types of supplemental programming, and professional development for teachers.

Funds are requested in 1998 for continuation costs only. The new grants awarded in 1997 would be supported for the five-year period required by the authorizing statute, and then funding for the program would end. Distance learning strategies can also be pursued under the Technology Innovation Challenge Grants.

Ready to Learn Television

The request includes level funding to continue support for the development of educational programming centered on school readiness scheduled to begin airing in 1998. The four program series under development will help children attain the early literacy and other skills necessary for successful learning. The programming, aimed at preschoolers and their parents, is being carefully developed and tested, as are accompanying materials for parentsand caregivers. Because of the potential of television to reach so many children, Federal support is warranted to stimulate the development of high quality programming that can help prepare children for school.

Telecommunications Demonstration Project for Mathematics

The budget includes a $1 million increase to expand a demonstration project that provides practical assistance to teachers attempting to use the recommendations of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics to improve their teaching. The findings of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study showed that U.S. teachers need assistance in developing instructional strategies that teach students challenging math content. The project delivers professional development through videos and on-line communications, allowing teachers opportunities to learn at times and locations they find convenient. The project can serve as a model for teachers of other subjects. Since 1995, the project has expanded services to include 35 States and the District of Columbia.

Fund for the Improvement of Education

The Department requests level funding for the Fund for the Improvement of Education (FIE). The Fund is an important source of support for developing models and testing innovations. In 1998, FIE will continue ongoing programs of support for the development of State assessments, the implementation of character education programs, the award of Christa McAuliffe Fellowships to excellent teachers, and a variety of studies and local demonstration programs aimed at improving teaching and learning. New activities would include support for the America Reads Challenge, efforts to follow up on findings from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study for improving curriculum and instruction in U.S. schools, and efforts to support improvements in teaching such as were recommended by the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future.

Javits Gifted and Talented Education

The request includes an increase of $2 million to support the Javits Gifted and Talented Education program. Too often schools fail to challenge gifted and talented students, as well as other students, to do their best work. Increased investment in this program will help demonstrate effective strategies for including gifted and talented children in State and local efforts to raise standards for all children. Further, the experience and knowledge the Nation gains in developing and implementing programs for gifted and talented students can and should be used as a basis for rich and challenging curricula for all students.

The increase in funding will support new grant awards, with priority placed on projects serving schools with high concentrations of low-income students and those students who may not be identified and served through traditional methods. Funds will also support continuation awards as well as the National Center for Research and Development in the Education of Gifted and Talented Children and Youth.

Eisenhower Regional Mathematics and Science Education Consortia

The Department requests level funding to continue support for the 10 regional consortia awards made in 1995. The consortia focus on disseminating exemplary mathematics and science instructional materials and providing training and technical assistance to classroom teachers, administrators, and other educators. The consortia will play an active role in using the findings of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) to promote reforms in math and science education. Examples include disseminating TIMSS-related information, assisting schools in conducting TIMSS assessments, and encouraging the use of rigorous academic standards, such as those developed by the National Academy of Sciences and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Each consortium must operate with the advice of a regional advisory board and coordinate its activities with the other consortia, the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education, and other technical assistance providers.

After-School Learning Centers

This new initiative, funded under the existing 21st Century Community Learning Centers authority (ESEA Title X, Part I), would help rural and inner-city public schools stay open after school hours to serve as safe, neighborhood learning centers where students can do their homework and obtain tutoring and mentoring services. The 1998 request would support the development of hundreds of new after-school programs focusing on activities designed to improve student achievement and prevent juvenile violence and substance abuse.

National Writing Project

This program supports a grant to the National Writing Project, a nonprofit educational organization that offers training programs in the effective teaching of writing. No funds are requested for 1998 because the project has received Federal funds for many years and has been amply demonstrated as a strategy for improving the teaching of writing. The program already receives substantial funding from non-Federal sources, and should now be supported with State and local funds. In addition, SEAs and LEAs could use Eisenhower Professional Development funding for this purpose.

Civic Education

For 1998, the Department requests level funding for the Civic Education program, which fosters good citizenship and civic responsibility for significant numbers of students while helping them develop an in-depth understanding of the U.S. Constitution. In addition, the program supports activities that further the National Education Goals and promotes high standards for what students should know and be able to do in civics.

International Education Exchange

This program helps support democracy and free market economies in Eastern Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and other countries that formerly were part of the Soviet Union, by providing educators and other leaders from those countries curricula and teacher training programs in civics and economic education, as well as the opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences with teachers in the U.S. and other participating countries. The 1998 funds would support continuation of grants awarded to two independent non-profit organizations with significant expertise in civics education and economic education, respectively.

Direct any questions to Martha Jacobs, Budget Service