20 USC 9531 - Establishment

Collapse to view only § 9531. Establishment

§ 9531. Establishment
§ 9532. Commissioner for Education Research
§ 9533. Duties
§ 9534. Standards for conduct and evaluation of research

§ 9531. Establishment

(a) Establishment

(b) MissionThe mission of the Research Center is—

(1) to sponsor sustained research that will lead to the accumulation of knowledge and understanding of education, to—

(A) ensure that all children have access to a high-quality education;

(B) improve student academic achievement, including through the use of educational technology;

(C) close the achievement gap between high-performing and low-performing students through the improvement of teaching and learning of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and other academic subjects; and

(D) improve access to, and opportunity for, postsecondary education;

(2) to support the synthesis and, as appropriate, the integration of education research;

(3) to promote quality and integrity through the use of accepted practices of scientific inquiry to obtain knowledge and understanding of the validity of education theories, practices, or conditions; and

(4) to promote scientifically valid research findings that can provide the basis for improving academic instruction and lifelong learning.

(Pub. L. 107–279, title I, § 131, Nov. 5, 2002, 116 Stat. 1954.)

§ 9532. Commissioner for Education Research

The Research Center shall be headed by a Commissioner for Education Research (in this part referred to as the “Research Commissioner”) who shall have substantial knowledge of the activities of the Research Center, including a high level of expertise in the fields of research and research management.

(Pub. L. 107–279, title I, § 132, Nov. 5, 2002, 116 Stat. 1954.)

§ 9533. Duties

(a) General dutiesThe Research Center shall—

(1) maintain published peer-review standards and standards for the conduct and evaluation of all research and development carried out under the auspices of the Research Center in accordance with this part;

(2) propose to the Director a research plan that—

(A) is consistent with the priorities and mission of the Institute and the mission of the Research Center and includes the activities described in paragraph (3); and

(B) shall be carried out pursuant to paragraph (4) and, as appropriate, be updated and modified;

(3) carry out specific, long-term research activities that are consistent with the priorities and mission of the Institute, and are approved by the Director;

(4) implement the plan proposed under paragraph (2) to carry out scientifically valid research that—

(A) uses objective and measurable indicators, including timelines, that are used to assess the progress and results of such research;

(B) meets the procedures for peer review established by the Director under section 9514(f)(5) of this title and the standards of research described in section 9534 of this title; and

(C) includes both basic research and applied research, which shall include research conducted through field-initiated research and ongoing research initiatives;

(5) promote the use of scientifically valid research within the Federal Government, including active participation in interagency research projects described in section 9518 of this title;

(6) ensure that research conducted under the direction of the Research Center is relevant to education practice and policy;

(7) synthesize and disseminate, through the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, the findings and results of education research conducted or supported by the Research Center;

(8) assist the Director in the preparation of a biennial report, as described in section 9519 of this title;

(9) carry out research on successful State and local education reform activities, including those that result in increased academic achievement and in closing the achievement gap, as approved by the Director;

(10) carry out research initiatives regarding the impact of technology, including—

(A) research into how technology affects student achievement;

(B) long-term research into cognition and learning issues as they relate to the uses of technology;

(C) rigorous, peer-reviewed, large-scale, long-term, and broadly applicable empirical research that is designed to determine which approaches to the use of technology are most effective and cost-efficient in practice and under what conditions; and

(D) field-based research on how teachers implement technology and Internet-based resources in the classroom, including an understanding 1

1 So in original. Probably should be “understanding of”.

how these resources are being accessed, put to use, and the effectiveness of such resources; and

(11) carry out research that is rigorous, peer-reviewed, and large scale to determine which methods of mathematics and science teaching are most effective, cost efficient, and able to be applied, duplicated, and scaled up for use in elementary and secondary classrooms, including in low-performing schools, to improve the teaching of, and student achievement in, mathematics and science as required under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.).

(b) Eligibility

(1) Support

(2) Topics of researchThe Research Commissioner shall support the following topics of research, through national research and development centers or through other means:

(A) Adult literacy.

(B) Assessment, standards, and accountability research.

(D) English language learners research.

(E) Improving low achieving schools.

(F) Innovation in education reform.

(G) State and local policy.

(H) Postsecondary education and training.

(I) Rural education.

(J) Teacher quality.

(K) Reading and literacy.

(3) Duties of centers

(4) ScopeSupport for a national research and development center shall be for a period of not more than 5 years, shall be of sufficient size and scope to be effective, and notwithstanding section 9534(b) of this title, may be renewed without competition for not more than 5 additional years if the Director, in consultation with the Research Commissioner and the Board, determines that the research of the national research and development center—

(A) continues to address priorities of the Institute; and

(B) merits renewal (applying the procedures and standards established in section 9534 of this title).

(5) Limit

(6) Continuation of awards

(7) Disaggregation

(Pub. L. 107–279, title I, § 133, Nov. 5, 2002, 116 Stat. 1954.)

§ 9534. Standards for conduct and evaluation of research

(a) In general

In carrying out this part, the Research Commissioner shall—

(1) ensure that all research conducted under the direction of the Research Center follows scientifically based research standards;

(2) develop such other standards as may be necessary to govern the conduct and evaluation of all research, development, and wide dissemination activities carried out by the Research Center to assure that such activities meet the highest standards of professional excellence;

(3) review the procedures utilized by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and other Federal departments or agencies engaged in research and development, and actively solicit recommendations from research organizations and members of the general public in the development of the standards described in paragraph (2); and

(4) ensure that all research complies with Federal guidelines relating to research misconduct.

(b) Peer review

(1) In general

(2) Evaluation

The Research Commissioner shall—

(A) develop the procedures to be used in evaluating applications for research grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts, and specify the criteria and factors (including, as applicable, the use of longitudinal data linking test scores, enrollment, and graduation rates over time) which shall be considered in making such evaluations; and

(B) evaluate the performance of each recipient of an award of a research grant, contract, or cooperative agreement at the conclusion of the award.

(Pub. L. 107–279, title I, § 134, Nov. 5, 2002, 116 Stat. 1957.)