DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI)

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice to solicit public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary solicits written public comment on the

implementation by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement

(OERI) of its new authorizing legislation, the ``Educational Research,

Development, Dissemination, and Improvement Act of 1994.'' Comments

will be used to help the Assistant Secretary plan for the

reorganization of OERI and the activities it will carry out, as well as

establish, in collaboration with the National Educational Research

Policy and Priorities Board, priorities for OERI's future work.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 6, 1994.

ADDRESSES: All comments concerning this notice, as well as requests for

copies of the Educational Research, Development, Dissemination, and

Improvement Act of 1994 and the topic papers (discussed below under

Supplementary Information), should be addressed to Dr. Laurence Peters,

U.S. Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., room 600,

Washington, D.C. 20208-5530. Comments on this notice may also be sent

to the Department of Education at the Internet electronic mail address:

[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Laurence Peters. Telephone: (202)

219-2050. FAX: (202) 219-1466. Internet electronic mail address:

[email protected]. Individuals who use a telecommunications

device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay

Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern

time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 31, 1994, President Clinton signed

Public Law 103-227, which includes both the ``Goals 2000: Educate

America Act'' and the ``Educational Research, Development,

Dissemination, and Improvement Act of 1994.'' The latter Act creates a

new Office of Educational Research and Improvement with a broad mandate

to conduct an array of research, development, dissemination, and

improvement activities aimed at strengthening the education of all

students. It also requires the establishment of a National Educational

Research Policy and Priorities Board, which is to work collaboratively

with the Assistant Secretary to identify priorities to guide the work

of OERI.

The mission of OERI, which the new authorizing legislation requires

be accomplished in collaboration with researchers, teachers, school

administrators, parents, students, employers, and policymakers, is to

provide national leadership in:

(1) expanding fundamental knowledge and understanding of education; (2)

promoting excellence and equity in education and the achievement of the

National Education Goals by spurring reform in the school systems of

the United States; (3) promoting the use and application of research

and development to improve practice in the classroom; and (4)

monitoring the state of education.

The statute requires that OERI establish five new research

institutes and a national dissemination system. Specifically, the new

OERI must include:

The National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum,

and Assessment;

The National Institute on the Education of At-Risk

Students;

The National Institute on Early Childhood Development and

Education;

The National Institute on Educational Governance, Finance,

Policymaking, and Management;

The National Institute on Postsecondary Education,

Libraries, and Lifelong Learning;

The Office of Reform Assistance and Dissemination; and

The National Library of Education.

The Assistant Secretary is interested in receiving comments and

recommendations from the public regarding the functions and

responsibilities of these new organizational components, the priorities

that should govern their work, and the mix of activities that would

best serve OERI's mission. The Assistant Secretary welcomes

recommendations related to any aspect of the implementation of the

``Educational Research, Development, Dissemination, and Improvement Act

of 1994,'' but is especially interested in recommendations regarding:

Research priorities for each institute, especially those

topics and issues that should be the focus of long-term, sustained,

systematic, and integrated research and development;

Strategies to help ensure that the research agenda is

relevant to the needs of educators working with students;

Dissemination strategies that will be most effective in

meeting the needs of a range of different customers--education

researchers, practitioners, policymakers, parents, students, and

employers;

Strategies and technical assistance activities that will

help ensure that knowledge gained from research will help improve

teaching and learning;

Strategies for identifying proven and promising

educational practices and programs;

Coordination of OERI's research, development and

dissemination with similar activities of other agencies and

organizations, including other units of the Department and other

federal agencies, to ensure that customer needs are met and the federal

investment is maximized;

Peer review and program evaluation activities to ensure

that the programs and projects OERI supports meet the highest standards

of professional excellence;

Education topic areas in which syntheses of research-based

information are urgently needed to help guide improvement efforts; and

Information services, resources and materials that should

be available to the public through a National Library of Education.

The Assistant Secretary is interested in wide public comment--from

education researchers, practitioners, policymakers, parents, students,

employers and others interested in systemic education reform--regarding

the policies and priorities OERI must identify and develop.

In seeking public comment, OERI is committed to supporting

Executive Order 12862, Setting Customer Service Standards, which

provides that the Federal Government be ``customer driven.'' To deliver

the highest quality service, OERI must understand its customers' needs

and interests and how it can be most responsive to these needs and

interests.

Availability of Reauthorization Legislation and Topic Papers: To

provide the public with a complete description of the provisions of the

new legislation, OERI will make available upon request a copy of the

``Educational Research, Development, Dissemination, and Improvement Act

of 1994.'' Prior to submitting any comments, OERI encourages commenters

to review this legislation. In addition, OERI has prepared topic papers

on a number of discrete subject areas, including each of the major OERI

organizational entities required by the new legislation. Individuals

who wish to respond to this notice may find these topic papers helpful

as they develop their comments. The purpose of these topic papers is to

share information and to generate discussion and recommendations.

Invitation to Comment

Interested persons are invited to submit comments and

recommendations regarding this notice.

All comments and recommendations will be available for public

inspection, during and after the comment period, in room 600, 555 New

Jersey Avenue, NW., Washington, DC between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4

p.m. Monday through Friday of each week except Federal holidays.

Dated: June 30, 1994.

Sharon P. Robinson,

Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.

[FR Doc. 94-16404 Filed 7-6-94; 8:45 am]

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