IES Staff
Meredith Larson
Education Research Analyst
NCER
About
Program Officer: Postsecondary and Adult Education, Postdoctoral Research Training Program in the Education Sciences, CREATE Adult Skills Research Network, Postsecondary Online Learning Center
Associated IES Content
Grant
Teaching Skills That Matter (TSTM)-SkillBlox Research Team
This project explores the rollout of the Teaching Skills That Matter (TSTM) initiative of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) and will develop and pilot test instructional resources for TSTM, delivered through an online platform called SkillBlox. The TSTM initiative seeks to align the skills teachers focus on in the classroom and students' needs and interests in part by providing the TSTM framework. This framework focuses on nine intra/...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305N210025
Grant
Evaluating the Efficacy of the LOOK Teacher Consultation Model to Improve Self-Regulation, Behavioral, and Social Outcomes Among Children With Challenging Behaviors
The purpose of this proposal is to test the impact of the Learning to Objectively Observe Kids (LOOK) consultation model when implemented with preschool teachers. Developed with IES funding, LOOK is designed to improve preschool teachers' use of effective social-emotional strategies and to improve children's self-regulatory, behavioral, and social-readiness skills. Early self-regulation difficulties, particularly evident in children from low-income families, often result in patterns of disru...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A200054
Grant
Leveraging Restorative Practices and Social Emotional Learning to Enhance Transitioning and Early High School Students' Engagement
The researchers will develop and pilot testWell Connected: A School Community Wellness Program (originally called Spiral Up!), a preventive classroom intervention for 9th and 10th graders that integrates social emotional learning and restorative practices in order to build early high school engagement, reduce problem behaviors, and ultimately improve student achievement. The transition into high school can be particularly difficult for students, and these challenges can increase when student...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A200071
Grant
Classroom Age Composition and Children's Early Learning: Understanding the Role of Classroom Practices
This project seeks to understand associations between preschool classroom age composition, classroom practices, and children's early learning and social development. There is a lack of research examining how a child's age is related to learning and social development in mixed-age classrooms. Do teachers' classroom practices in mixed-age classrooms serve as a mechanism for differential gains of 3- versus 4-year-olds in these settings? Researchers will examine associations between classroom ag...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A190302
Grant
Multiple-choice Online Causal Comprehension Assessment for Postsecondary Students (MOCCA-College): Measuring Individual Differences in Reading Comprehension Ability of Struggling College Readers by Text Type
The research team refined and validated a reading comprehension assessment (MOCCA), which was the product of an IES-funded project (R305A140185) and was designed for and validated with third- through fifth-grade students, for use with postsecondary students. The refined assessment, MOCCA-College (MOCCA-C) is a practical, reliable, and valid measure of reading comprehension processes that can help postsecondary practitioners, administrators, and researchers diagnose students' reading comprehe...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A180417
Grant
Enhancing Undergraduate STEM Education by Integrating Mobile Learning Technologies with Natural Language Processing
In this project, the researchers will refine an existing mobile application, CourseMIRROR, for use in postsecondary STEM lecture courses. This application aims to improve deep learning by encouraging students to reflect on course content and receive immediate feedback on their reflections. Often, in large lecture courses, students' ability to reflect on course content and get feedback on these reflections is limited by class size and instructor availability. At the same time, instructors oft...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A180477
Grant
Georgia Partnership for Adult Education and Research (GPAER)
The research team will conduct initial, exploratory research on factors that influence adults' participation and success in adult education programs and build capacity of the Georgia Office of Adult Education (GOAE) staff to use data and participate in research aimed to improve adult education outcomes. In Georgia, more than 1.1 million adults have less than a high school education, yet in 2016, only about 41,000 of these adults received adult education services. To provide useful and effect...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305H180061
Grant
Mixed-Methods Exploration of Factors Associated with Postsecondary Success English Language Learners with Disabilities
The purpose of this study was to explore factors associated with positive transition outcomes from high school to postsecondary life for students who are both English learners (ELs) and have a disability. Research suggests these students face multiple barriers to postsecondary success, but few studies have identified the challenges or successes these students experience during this transition. By addressing this gap in knowledge, this project team aimed to inform the development or the modif...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A170259
Grant
Inference-Making and Reasoning: Refinement of an Assessment for Use in Gateway Biology Courses
In this project, the researchers developed a measure of deductive reasoning for postsecondary introductory biology students presented with new information. First-year biology college courses constitute a gateway for success in multiple STEM majors, yet many academically able students struggle to learn the concepts. Previous research suggested that taking in large amounts of new information and being able to draw one's own conclusions with that information might be a malleable skill that cont...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A160335
Grant
Supporting Strategic Writers: Effects of an Innovative Developmental Writing Program on Writing and Reading Outcomes
Many community college students must take non-credit developmental courses in writing to improve their basic writing skills, but little research has focused on instructional interventions designed for developmental writing. The purpose of this project was to test the efficacy of such an intervention that was developed and evaluated in a previous IES-funded grant (R305A100614). A quasi-experimental study (MacArthur et al., 2015) in the prior grant found improved outcomes in writing quality an...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A160242
Grant
Developing and Validating Web-administered, Reading for Understanding Assessments for Adult Education
A large percent of U.S. adults struggle to read even basic texts, but there are few valid assessments for adult learners who have underdeveloped reading literacy skills across the variety of educational settings that serve them. Consequently, there is limited support for diagnostic, progress monitoring, and outcome measurement that is aligned with empirically supported instruction. The purpose of this project was to develop a digital assessment system appropriate for use with adult learners,...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A190522
Grant
Exploring Writing Achievement and Its Role in Success at 4-Year Postsecondary Institutions
Postsecondary-level writing challenges students and the instructors who teach it. In this project, the researchers addressed this challenge by exploring writing skills and achievement, the malleable factors that predict writing quality, and their links to postsecondary success. The researchers explored three different factors or predictors of writing quality. The first was writing domain knowledge, such as use of correct writing conventions (grammar, spelling, etc.), topic development and co...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A160115
Grant
Strengthening Present-Future Self-Continuity Improves College Persistence
Psychological factors, such as college students' ability to imagine themselves as future graduates or to draw upon memories of role models, may act as buffers that help them stay motivated and to persist during difficult times in college. This study explored whether such psychological factors are malleable and predict students' decisions to stay in or leave college and whether they are particularly important for at-risk students. Specifically, this study investigated (a) the relationship bet...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A160023
Grant
Exploring the Mediators and Moderators of Metacomprehension Accuracy
In this project, the researchers explored postsecondary students' ability to monitor comprehension and learning processes and its connection to student outcomes. This ability, known as metacomprehension, helps learners to estimate how well they understand texts and to determine when they need to restudy them. Many students do not estimate their comprehension accurately and are unable to engage in effective self-regulated learning. Previous research has found that metacomprehension skills can...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A160008
Grant
Morphological Awareness Computer Adaptive Testing Project
In this project, researchers will develop and test a computer-based test of middle school students' ability to understand parts of words (e.g. roots, prefixes). The ability to use and understand how small parts of words (i.e., morphemes) combine to form words that express different meanings (i.e., morphological awareness) is important for students' ability to learn challenging words that are not used much in everyday language but are used more frequently in school settings. Based on whether ...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A150199
Grant
Returning to Our Roots: Development of a Morphology Intervention to Bolster Academic Vocabulary Knowledge for Adolescent English Learners
This project will develop and test a new intervention called EL-RAVE designed to help middle school English Language Learners (ELLs) learn academic vocabulary. Comprehending academic texts can be particularly challenging for adolescent ELLs who are not fully proficient in English, and lack of comprehension contributes to lower achievement and reduced persistence in high school for ELLs. EL-RAVE will build on an existing intervention developed for monolingual students called Robust Academic V...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A160401
Grant
Improving the Educational and Social Emotional Functioning of College Students with ADHD
The purpose of this project was to evaluate a psychosocial intervention-Accessing Campus Connections and Empowering Student Success (ACCESS)-for postsecondary students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Many postsecondary institutions provide campus support services (e.g., disability accommodations) to help students with ADHD because these students are more likely to struggle and to drop out than students without ADHD. Because such campus support services often times do no...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A150207
Grant
For Argument's Sake: Applying Questioning the Author Techniques to Move from Comprehension to composition of Written Arguments
The purpose of this project was to develop and test the feasibility and promise of an instructional intervention, Triple Q, which was designed to support middle school students' argument writing skills. The intervention includes three units of instruction in which students read and discuss argument texts, examine the features and quality of the arguments within and across those texts, and draft and revise their own written arguments. The intervention uses Questioning the Author (QtA) queries...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A160403
Grant
Exploring Stress Responses in the Classroom and Reappraising Stress to Facilitate Academic Performance
In this study, researchers explored psychological and biological factors underlying the mathematics performance for community college students and developmental education students. Researchers explored how developmental education math students' interpretations of stress, beliefs about intellect, and math anxiety influence their mathematics performance. Although many postsecondary students enrolled in community college developmental math courses struggle to succeed, little research has examin...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A150036
Grant
What Types of Knowledge Matters for What Types of Comprehension? Exploring the Role of Background Knowledge on Students' Ability to Learn from Multiple Texts
The purpose of this project was to explore the relationship between high school students' background knowledge and their reading comprehension. Research has shown that students with more background knowledge (namely the previously learned knowledge that may help students understand what they read by providing extra information that is not included in text) are better able to comprehend what they read than those students with little background knowledge. Although researchers know that backgro...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A150176
Grant
Exploring the onPAR Model in Developmental Literacy Education
Higher education faces a crisis in that a number of students who start college are not sufficiently ready to read to be successful in their courses. Being underprepared to read has negative implications on students' likelihood of obtaining a degree and obtaining a successful career. Consequently, institutions of higher education invest money and resources to help under prepared students. This project was conducted under the assumption that these efforts are facilitated with a clear understan...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A150193
Grant
Career Pathways Programming for Lower-Skilled Adults and Immigrants: A Comparative Analysis of Adult Education Providers in High-Need Cities
Many adult education providers seek to develop career pathway programs that build low-skilled adult learners' core skills (e.g., math, reading) in preparation for specific careers or fields (e.g., health care). In this project, representatives of adult education programs in Chicago, Miami, and Houston worked with researchers to describe how providers in each city integrate career pathway components into their services. Whereas most other studies on career pathways (CPs) have focused on commu...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305H150047
Grant
Khan Academy Resources for Maximizing Mathematics Achievement: A Postsecondary Mathematics Efficacy Study
This project tested if and how using Khan Academy web-based activities in regular classroom instruction improved community college student learning of algebra. Many students arrive at community college needing opportunities to learn or strengthen mathematics skills in order to complete a college-level mathematics class. To increase student success, some community colleges have turned to Khan Academy's free, online, mathematics resources for students and instructors. This project investigated...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A140340
Grant
Bootstrapping Achievement and Motivation in STEM: An Integrated Cognitive-Motivational Intervention to Improve Biology Grades
First-year biology college courses constitute a gateway for success in multiple STEM majors, yet many academically able students struggle to learn the concepts and fail to perceive them as relevant to their future career. To support biology instruction across diverse higher education settings, the researchers created a set of online instructional supports that 'wrap around' existing courses to enhance students' learning, motivation, and achievement in first-year college biology courses.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A140602
Grant
A Process View of Reading Among Adult Literacy Learners
Over the course of this project, the researchers examined variation in sentence processing among adults with a wide range of literacy skill. Specifically, they explored the association of literacy skill with variation in the activation of word meanings, how these meanings are sculpted by context and integrated into conceptual representations, as well as the activation of situational representations.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A130448
Grant
Using Computer-Assisted Instruction to Accelerate Students through Developmental Math: An Impact Study of Modularization and Compression
In this project, researchers examined two distinct interventions for Texas community college students who were referred to non-credit remedial math. At the time of this study, the majority of entering community college students were referred to developmental (or remedial) math, and success rates in the developmental math course sequence and college more broadly were discouraging. The first intervention the researchers examined was called ModMath, a modularized course using computer-assisted ...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A130125
Grant
Factors Associated with Postsecondary Success for Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities face significant obstacles in making successful transitions to college. Not only do students with disabilities continue to face challenges to learning as they move into college, only 28 percent of postsecondary students with disabilities disclose their disabilities to their colleges, and thus may not receive the types of supports they received in the K-12 system. Previous research has demonstrated that college interventions designed to help at-risk students in the ...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A120300
Grant
A Cognitive Science Investigation of Struggling Adult Readers' Skills
In this project, researchers explored the underlying cognitive processes adults with low reading skills using during comprehension. They examined the component processes adult readers use as they occur in real time, comparing the patterns exhibited by struggling adult readers with non-struggling, college-aged and older readers. By determining the connection among these processes and reading comprehension, the researchers aimed to improve models of reading for adults with low literacy to lead...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A120189
Grant
Development of a Curriculum to Teach Writing in Postsecondary Developmental English Composition Classes
In the early 2010s, large numbers of students were entering postsecondary programs with a high school diploma but were underprepared for college coursework. According to the NCES (2013), in 2011-12, 33% of first-year college students took at least one remedial course in reading, writing, or math (40% in public 2-year and 30% in public 4-year institutions). To help address the needs of students and faculty in development writing courses, the researchers developed a curriculum called Supportin...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A100614
Grant
A Randomized Trial of Reducing Stereotype Threat Among Minority and Economically Disadvantaged Students
Two recent field trials (Cohen et al. 2006; Good, Aronson, and Inzlicht 2003) suggest that modest interventions designed to buffer middle-school students against stereotype threat are effective at closing achievement gaps (e.g., raising minority student achievement by as much as 0.50 standard deviations, which is roughly equivalent to 50 percent of the minority achievement gap). This study replicates the Cohen et al. (2006) study using a more comprehensive set of student-level outcome measur...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A090162
Grant
Accelerating Fluency Development in an Automated Reading Tutor
Fluency-defined as the ability to read connected text quickly, easily, accurately, and expressively-is one of the most important skills needed to develop successful readers. However, acquiring this skill takes practice and guidance from teachers and many schools lack the resources to give students the individualized practice and attention they need to excel. One possible method for filling this gap is through the use of tutors. While human tutors can be expensive and difficult to find, anoth...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A080628
Grant
Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time: Implementation and Outcomes
The Massachusetts Legislature funded the Expanded Learning Time (ELT) initiative, which provides successful district applicants with grants to plan for and implement expanded schedules (providing additional instruction time in the school day and school year) in selected schools. Over the past year, the Massachusetts Department of Education and Abt Associates have collaborated to evaluate this new state initiative. The purpose of this project is to expand the current evaluation effort by exte...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A080372
Grant
School Responses to AYP Classification Due to Student Subgroups and the Relationship to Student Achievement
This study examines how school leaders respond to the designation of not meeting AYP, what reforms (if any) are introduced into schools as a result, and the relationship of student performance to the designation and subsequent reforms.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A080280
Grant
Developing Vocabulary in an Automated Reading Tutor
Research indicates that explicit vocabulary instruction benefits students' word learning and comprehension of text. However, major instructional challenges remain, for example, determining how to teach enough words to matter and how to teach them so that they are actually learned and retained. The purpose of this project is to develop, iteratively refine, and evaluate the usability and feasibility of an automated tutorial intervention to help children in grades 2-3 learn vocabulary necessary...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A080157
Grant
Creating an Integrated Resource Information System to Assess Student, Teacher, Classroom, and School Effects on Value-Added Student Learning Gains and to Support More Cost-Effective Budgeting
This project seeks to create a comprehensive integrated resource information system that will include the key elements of resource use at the school, classroom, and student level. Resources are to be broadly defined as financial, programmatic, human, and social/organizational. The system is to link the resource data to student achievement data so that the use of resources at each level can be linked to effectiveness in improving student achievement. The goal is for decision-makers to be a...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A080038
Grant
Postdoctoral Research Training in the Education Sciences
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B060010
Request for Applications
Education Research and Development Center Program - 84.305C
Education Research and Development Center Program - 84.305C
Application deadline:
Mar 14, 2025 11:59:59 PM EDT
Postsecondary and Adult Education
The Postsecondary and Adult Education (PSAE) topic area supports research that will lead to improved access to, persistence in, progress through, and completion of postsecondary and adult education programs, including the full range of adult literacy activities described in Title II of the 2015 Work Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), sub-baccalaureate programs, and associate's and bachelor's degree programs.
Postdoctoral Research Training Program in the Education Sciences
This program funds groups of faculty research trainers who recruit, hire, and prepare postdoctoral researchers to conduct high-quality education research. IES encourages training programs to recruit fellows from underrepresented demographic groups including minority groups and those with disabilities, those coming from smaller or less well-known institutions, or those with non-traditional backgrounds including former practitioners or institutional researchers.
Minutes of Meeting: June 16, 2014
NBES meeting minutes on June 16, 2014
Building Adult Skills and Attainment Through Technology Research Network
In FY 2021, IES competed the Building Adult Skills and Attainment Through Technology Research Network through the Research Network Focused on Critical Problems of Policy and Practice grant program to fulfill NCER's National Education Research and Development Centers (R&D Centers) goals for adult education.
Grant
Understanding Adaptive Problem-Solving Skills in a Digital Context for Low-Skilled Adults in the United States
In this project, the researchers will explore the prevalence and nature of the challenges adults with low foundational skills (reading, numeracy) may face when engaging with digital assessments relative to adults with higher foundational skills. Adults with low foundational skills account for a sizable and non-ignorable proportion of the U.S. population, and the percent of adults who also have low digital skills is also significant. According to a 2019 NCES report, roughly 64 percent of U.S....
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A240292
Grant
Meta-analysis of College Writing Interventions on Writing and Learning Outcomes
In this project, the researchers aim to inform postsecondary writing instruction and interventions in college and university setting by conducting a meta-analysis of prior impact studies. Many college faculty indicate that their students do not have appropriate writing skills to be successful in their courses, and many 2- and 4-year institutions of higher education require basic writing courses for students. Writing difficulties are compounded for students who are domestic or international E...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A240295
Grant
Exploring Student Pathways Through Rural High Schools and Into Postsecondary Education
The project team will examine gaps between the educational experiences and attainment of students in rural and nonrural areas to identify policy leverage points and malleable factors that can improve geographic equity in student achievement and access to postsecondary education. Students in rural areas are less likely to earn a college degree than their peers in nonrural locales, and they often face unique constraints in access to school resources and postsecondary education. Despite compris...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A240147
Grant
Promoting Student Performance and Well-being: An Efficacy Trial of High School RULER
In this project, researchers will test the initial efficacy of High School RULER (HS RULER), a systemic, whole-school approach to social and emotional learning (SEL) for adolescents in grades 9 to 12. HS RULER provides schools with concrete tools and lesson plans to integrate into existing programming to help create safe, supportive school climates, and provide classroom instruction to build students' emotion skills. HS RULER was developed as an extension of the well-established K-8 RULER ap...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A230395
Grant
Using Colorado Longitudinal Data to Address Food Insecurity and Support Equity in Postsecondary Education and Training
This project will inform Colorado's efforts to increase college attainment by supporting students' needs for food and related human services. Many college students struggle with food insecurity, and evidence increasingly suggests that food insecurity can act as a barrier to postsecondary success. Colorado state agencies and postsecondary institutions are looking for ways to expand student participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to ensure that students receive nu...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305S230002
Grant
Strengthening Virginia's Pandemic Recovery Efforts: Providing High-Quality Community College Workforce Education to Underserved Adults
The purpose of this Network project is to examine barriers to postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion for low-income, Black, and Hispanic students and generate knowledge that will lead to significant improvements in their progress through and completion of workforce training programs leading to high-demand occupations. To achieve these aims, researchers will partner with the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) to examine and improve Get A Skill, Get A Job, Get Ahead (G3), ...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305X220024
Grant
iCODE: Investigating and Scaffolding Students' Code Comprehension Processes to Improve Learning, Engagement, and Retention
The research team will develop and pilot test a novel education technology called iCODE (improve source CODE comprehension). Code comprehension is a critical skill for both learners and professionals. iCODE will integrate reading strategies training, animated pedagogical agents, inclusive and culturally responsive instructional design, and the open pro-social learner model to improve code comprehension and learning and student engagement, self-efficacy, computer science (CS) identity, and re...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A220385
Grant
Supporting Equity-Focused, Interdisciplinary, and Responsive Research in Early Childhood Care and Education: The Equity in Early Education (E3) Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
The Supporting Equity-Focused, Interdisciplinary, and Responsive Research in Early Childhood Care and Education:Equity in Early Education (E3) Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (ECCE), hosted at Stanford University, aims to hire four fellows over the course of four waves.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B220018
Grant
School Mental Health Collaborative Postdoctoral Research and Training Program
The School Mental Health Collaborative-Postdoctoral Research and Training Program (SMHC-PRT) aims to hire four fellows in two cohorts.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B220003
Grant
Adult Numeracy in the Digital Era: Adaptive Technology for Quantitative and Digital Literacy
This research team will develop and pilot test a technology-enabled adult numeracy course and corresponding professional development designed for adult basic education learners. Nearly a third of the adult population in the United States does not have sufficient numeracy skills to manage critical quantitative tasks in their daily lives and over 16 percent have low digital literacy skills. Modern technology has the potential to significantly improve access to and the quality of adult educatio...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305N210029
Grant
Adult Skills Assessment Project: Actionable Assessments for Adult Learners
The Adult Skills Assessment Project (ASAP) research team will create a digital, online repository of assessment tasks in literacy, numeracy, and the intersection of these two domains to provide effective, comprehensive measures of academic constructs important to the success of all adult learners. Current assessments in adult education are not helpful for instructional needs such as placement, diagnosis, or formative assessment, nor are they valid and reliable measures for research in adult ...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305N210031
Grant
Content-Integrated Language Instruction for Adults with Technology Support
This research team will refine and pilot test a curriculum for use in adult education U.S. history/civics and integrated English courses. Many adult education centers offer integrated English literacy and civics education classes to help adults develop English proficiency, build their knowledge of U.S. history and civics, and work towards accomplishing their goals, such as participating more fully in their communities and citizenship. However, adult education programs do not have theory- or ...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305N210032
Grant
Writing in Adult Secondary Education Classes (W-ASE)
The purpose of the project is to develop a writing curriculum for learners in adult secondary education (ASE) classes along with a professional development (PD) delivery model, materials, and online resources for instructors and students. Learners in ASE programs have various goals, including passing high school equivalency tests, gaining skills necessary for success in postsecondary settings, as well increasing their job, community, civic, and family related literacy/numeracy skills. Writin...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305N210030
Grant
Adult Skills Network Lead
The Adult Skills Network (ASN) lead serves two primary roles. First, the lead will provide ASN coordination and management to facilitate the work of all ASN grantees in meeting their shared goal to address the needs of adults with low basic skills or academic attainment. Second, the lead will provide national leadership in knowledge generation and translation and guides large-scale dissemination of research-based resources to practitioners and other stakeholders in a form they can effectivel...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305N210014
Grant
University of Virginia Education Science Training Program in English Language Learning (EL-VEST)
The University of Virginia Education Science Training Program in English Language Learning (EL-VEST) will provide substantive and methodological postdoctoral training to four fellows.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B210008
Grant
Using Process Data to Characterize Response Profiles and Test-Taking Behaviors of Low-Skilled Adult Responders on PIAAC Literacy and Numeracy Items
The purpose of this project is to understand how adults with low basic skills (literacy and numeracy) interact with digital assessments to tease apart the roles of low basic skills, fluency with digital tools, and assessment design. What the research team learns will inform the development and use of digital assessments with these adults. According to a recent NCES report, roughly 19 percent of U.S. adults perform at or below basic literacy skills, and 29 percent perform at or below basic nu...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A210344
Grant
Examining the Efficacy, Predictive Power, and Cost Effectiveness of the Diagnostic Assessment and Achievement of College Skills
The purpose of this efficacy study is to determine the impact of the Diagnostic Assessment and Achievement of College Skills (DAACS) on postsecondary students' outcomes and the generalizability of any effects across different types of postsecondary institutions. DAACS is a fully developed suite of free, open-source, online diagnostic assessments of reading, writing, mathematics, and self-regulated learning. Students and advisors use these resources to support newly enrolled students in makin...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A210269
Grant
Developing a Context-Integrated Mindset / Belonging Intervention to Eliminate Demographic-based Underperformance in Challenging Large Lecture Undergraduate Courses
Many postsecondary students, including those at selective schools, may struggle to complete their degrees. These struggles are not evenly distributed. For example, students in large lecture courses and those who may be under-represented in the course or the course's field may be less likely to complete or persist in their programs than other students. Previous research has found that psychosocial interventions show promise for addressing such course-based inequities using highly cost-effecti...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A210167
Grant
Red Light, Purple Light! Evaluating a Self-Regulation Intervention for Children in Early Learning Settings
Preschool is a critical time for the development of self-regulation, which is essential for children's long-term social and academic success. Developing and testing programs that help children develop self-regulation in preschool is critical to ensuring long-term success. This project will test the initial efficacy of Red Light, Purple Light (RLPL), a self-regulation intervention that was developed as part of an IES grant. The RLPL intervention is designed to promote children's school readin...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A210502
Grant
Postsecondary Teaching with Technology Collaborative
The growth of online learning means that college students must manage their studies more independently than ever before, making students' skills for navigating their own learning-such as finding sources of motivation, managing time and tasks, and reflecting on progress and making adjustments-even more critical to their success. Research has demonstrated the benefits of these self-directed learning skills and suggests that widely used technologies, such as learning management systems and adap...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305C210003
Grant
Online Instructor Professional Development and Student Outcomes in Community Colleges
In this project, the researchers will explore possible connections among faculty participation in professional development (PD) that targets online instruction, improved delivery of online instruction, and improved community college student outcomes. As more postsecondary instruction moves online or incorporates online elements, faculty need to learn how to deliver content and support students in new ways. This has led many institutions and faculty to seek out professional development (PD). ...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A210455
Grant
Does Federal Work-Study Work for Students? Evidence From a Randomized Controlled Trial
The purpose of this project is to evaluate the impact of receiving a federal work-study (FWS) offer on outcomes for low-income undergraduate aid applicants at a large, urban public college system. The FWS program is one of the oldest federal policy tools intended to promote college access and persistence for low-income students. The program serves approximately 1 in 10 college students at a cost of nearly $1 billion annually, yet it has never been rigorously evaluated.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A200250
Grant
Developing and Implementing a Technology-Based Reading Comprehension Instruction System for Adult Literacy Students
In this project, researchers will refine and pilot test an interactive, online reading comprehension program for adult literacy students reading between the 3rd- and 8th-grade level. This program, called AutoTutor for Adult Reading Comprehension (AT-ARC), was previously part of a hybrid lesson plan developed through the Center for Struggling Adult Learners (R305C120001) but will be refined to be a stand-alone comprehension practice tool. Roughly one in six adults in the United States have li...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A200413
Grant
GSU Postdoctoral Training on Adult Literacy: G-PAL
The focus of this training program is to prepare postdoctoral fellows to conduct education research in adult literacy.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B200007
Grant
Literacy, Numeracy, and Problem-Solving Skills in Technology-Rich Environment in the STEM-Related Subbaccalaureate Programs in the United States
Sub-baccalaureate programs (for example, certificate and associate degree programs) aim to prepare the existing and future STEM workforce. However, the career and academic preparedness of adults in these education programs may create barriers to successful completion. In this study, researchers will gather information about the distribution of basic skills (literacy, numeracy, and problem solving) for adults in STEM occupations using a nationally representative data set, analyze primary data...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A200261
Grant
Exploring the Experiences and Outcomes of English Learners in Community College
Multilingual learners (ML)-commonly referred to as English learners or ELs-constitute a large and growing segment of the postsecondary student population, yet research on their educational experiences is sparse, especially at the community college level. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap by exploring how community college institutional policies and practices influence the experiences and trajectories of MLs enrolled at the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC). The researchers focused ...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A190495
Grant
Using Adaptive Practice to Improve Recall and Understanding in Postsecondary Anatomy and Physiology
The project team developed and refined an online platform called the Mobile Fact and Concept Training System (MoFaCTS). This platform aimed to support community college students taking introductory courses in anatomy and physiology. Many students find these introductory courses challenging, and difficulties in understanding the material often hinder their progress in obtaining certificates or degrees. MoFaCTS sought to address these issues by enhancing students' understanding and retention o...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A190448
Blog
New IES Grantee Focuses on Improving Adult Literacy
In her first IES grant, Dr. Elizabeth Tighe (Georgia State University) is taking expertise honed in both an NCER predoctoral fellowship and PIAAC methods training program to help further adult literacy research. Her earlier work includes developing assessments for adults with low literacy, leveraging statistical approaches to understand these adults' abilities and difficulties, and using eye-tracking paradigms to explore their ability to self-monitor during reading. Program officer, Meredith L
Date published:
Sep 24, 2018
Grant
Identifying Risk Factors and Predictors of Literacy Sills for Adults Performing at the Lowest Levels of PIAAC in the United States
The purpose of this project was to explore a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults with low reading skills to identify factors that may predict literacy performance. According to the 2017 PIAAC report, roughly 1 in 5 (19 percent) of U.S. adults read at or below basic levels. This group has inherent heterogeneity, but there may also be commonalities that practitioners or policymakers could leveraged to help improve instruction or other interventions. In this study, the researchers e...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A180299
Grant
A Longitudinal Efficacy Study of the Montessori Preschool Model on Academic and Social-Emotional Outcomes
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of Montessori preschool education on children's kindergarten readiness skills. Although the Montessori model has expanded into public schools and Head Start programs in recent years, no large-scale evaluation of the efficacy of the Montessori preschool model for developing children's academic, social, and emotional skills has been conducted. In this project, researchers will compare children who enter Montessori at age 3 and attend for t...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A180181
Grant
Underrepresented Student Learning in Online Introductory STEM College Courses
In this project, the researchers explored interactions among various characteristics of online instruction and postsecondary students' success in STEM courses. In particular, they explored how students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM-namely, first-generation students, and students from minoritized groups-benefit from or are impeded by online features, such as participation in discussion boards. Online instruction has the potential to make course content more accessible to larg...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A180211
Grant
University of Virginia Education Science (VEST) Interdisciplinary Post-Doctoral Training Program
The Virginia Education Science (VEST) Interdisciplinary Post-Doctoral Training Program engaged five promising researchers in opportunities to develop skills to conduct rigorous research in education science.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B170002
Grant
University of Washington SMART Center Postdoctoral Research Program
SMART PREP recruited five education researchers, one of whom resigned for a different postdoctoral position shortly after beginning, two in the first cohort (starting in 2018) and three in the second cohort (starting in 2020). The remaining 4 fellows each received 2 years of training and mentoring. The focus of their training was to prepare them to conduct relevant, high-quality research focused on the social and behavioral contexts for academic learning and the use of mental health strategi...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B170021
Grant
Adapting Lesson Study for Developmental Mathematics Instruction
As community colleges make changes to curriculum and course structures to improve outcomes in development education, postsecondary instructors increasingly need professional development. Yet, most college faculty have limited access to professional development focused on teaching in their discipline. This project iteratively adapted a collaborative-learning model for teacher professional development that has evidence of improving math instruction in K-12 settings called "lesson study" for us...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A170454
Grant
Teaching and Learning 21st Century Skills in Community Colleges: A Study of the New World of Work Program
Twenty-first century skills (e.g., the ability to communicate, collaborate, and adapt) are increasingly viewed as critical for success in both postsecondary settings and the workforce, but there are few opportunities in academic postsecondary institutions for students to develop these skills explicitly. In this project, the researchers analyzed and made recommended refinements to an existing intervention called the New World of Work (NWoW), a course that aims to improve community college stu...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A170304
Grant
A Mixed-Methods Study of Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Lifelong Learning, Skill Proficiencies, and Employment in the U.S. and Selected OECD Countries
Middle-aged and older workers represent nearly half of the U.S. labor force, yet little is known about this population's skill levels and how they interact with education, labor, and other outcomes. In this study, researchers explored associations among older U.S. adults' skill proficiencies (i.e., literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills), employment, labor force status, lifelong learning, educational attainment, and cohort effects on these associations. Skill proficiencies and lifelo...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A170183
Grant
It's Worth It! Securing Persistence, Performance and Progress within Postsecondary Gateway Science Courses through Utility Value Interventions
Postsecondary students in gateway physics and chemistry may struggle to succeed in their courses and persist in their majors for reasons beyond just the difficulty of the subject matter. Previous research with postsecondary biology students found that helping students see the utility of their studies increased their persistence, leading to better academic outcomes. The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend that work, focusing on physics and chemistry students. Additionally, the s...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A170160
Grant
The New York State Literacy Zone Researcher-Practitioner Partnership
New York State established "Literacy Zone" funding to improve the outcomes of adult education programs located in its poorest neighborhoods. These Literacy Zone grants help adult education programs to fund comprehensive case management services to help adult learners access and succeed in education and training programs by leveraging wraparound services intended to address health concerns, childcare needs, or other needs that may create a barrier to program participation. The IES partnership...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305H160023
report
Compendium
A Compendium of Math and Science Research Funded by NCER and NCSER: 2002-2013
Between 2002 and 2013, the Institute of Education Sciences (Institute) funded over 300 projects focused on math and science. The majority of this work has been funded through Mathematics and Science Education research topics of the National Center for Education Research (NCER) and the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER). Both centers also support projects focusing on math and science through other research topic areas, including programs such as Cognition and Student Learning,
Jan 01, 2016
Grant
Network for Integrating Cognitive and Educational Sciences (NICE) Postdoctoral Research Training Grant Program
This training program prepared four postdoctoral fellows to apply cognitive science principles to crucial issues in education, with a special focus on mathematics, language development, and early learning.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B150014
Grant
A Scalable Growth Mindset Intervention to Raise Achievement and Persistence in Community College
In the study, the researchers aimed to evaluate whether a brief, psychological intervention that has raised challenge-seeking and achievement among students in secondary schools and some 4-year colleges can have similar benefit for students enrolled in community college. This intervention aims to instill a "growth mindset" (i.e., the belief that intelligence is something a person can develop through practice) because this mindset has been shown to correlate with supportive academic...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A150253
Grant
Training Researchers to Use PIAAC to Further Multidisciplinary Research
In order to help improve policy and practice for educating and training adults, we need a broad, multi-disciplinary field of trained researchers. This training program aimed to help develop such researchers by providing in-depth, hands-on training with the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) data. The PIAAC is a large, international assessment of adults (16- to 65-years old) that aims to assess and compare the basic skills and the broad range of competencie...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B160020
Grant
Evaluating the Impact of CUNY Start through a Researcher (MDRC) – Local Education Agency (City University of New York) Partnership
Most community college students are referred to developmental education courses to build basic skills. Colleges have typically responded to the needs of students referred to developmental coursework by designing multi-level, non-credit course sequences in reading, English, and math. However, students often struggle in these courses and college more broadly. To help address the needs of incoming students, the City University of New York (CUNY) developed CUNY Start (CS), a multifaceted pre-mat...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305H140065
Grant
Study of Effects of Accelerated Basic Skills Instruction on Adults' GED Attainment and Enrollment in Postsecondary Education
In 2006, the state of Oregon established the Oregon Pathways for Adult Basic Skills Transition to Education and Work Initiative (OPABS) in order to help adult learners earn a General Educational Development secondary credential (GED) and transition to credit-bearing postsecondary courses. However, due to the limited available resources in the state, Oregon's Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development (CCWD) was not able to evaluate the outcomes of OPABS. This grant provided t...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305H140108
Grant
University of Virginia Post-Doctoral Interdisciplinary Training Program in Education Science
This training program prepared five postdoctoral fellows to conduct rigorous education research in topics related to effective teachers and teaching practices, early learning, and social and behavioral contexts for learning.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B130013
Grant
Stanford Postdoctoral Fellows Program in the Center for Education Policy Analysis
The postdoctoral training program provided training to 4 postdoctoral fellows for 2 years each.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B130017
Grant
Postdoctoral Training Program in Mathematical Thinking, Learning, and Instruction
This training program prepared four researchers to conduct scientifically rigorous math education research.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B130007
Grant
Designing a RCT Experiment to Test the Impact of Innovative Interventions and Policies for Postsecondary Developmental Education: A RAND—TX Higher Education Coordinating Board Research Partnership
The primary aim of the proposed partnership was to bring together the THECB and RAND Corporation to conduct preliminary research to determine which DEDP programs appeared to be most effective. They recruited potential research sites for subsequent evaluations and developed successful IES proposals to support the improvement and evaluation of the efficacy of the interventions.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305H130026
Grant
Postdoctoral Training in Children's Mathematics Language and Cognition
This training program prepared four postdoctoral fellows to apply cognitive science principles to crucial issues in education, especially in mathematics, language development, and early learning.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B130012
Grant
Center for the Study of Adult Literacy (CSAL): Developing Instructional Approaches Suited to the Cognitive and Motivational Needs for Struggling Adults
The Center for the Study of Adult Literacy (CSAL) sought to improve our understanding of ways to advance the reading skills of struggling adult learners reading at the 3rd to 8th grade levels.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305C120001
Grant
Children's Learning Research Collaborative Fellowships for Postdoctoral Research Training in the Education Sciences
The Children's Learning Research Collaborative (CLRC) trained four postdoctoral fellows in research related to the designing and testing of interventions intended to strengthen the language and literacy skills of children.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B120008
Grant
NYU/Columbia Postdoctoral Training Program
This training program prepared four researchers to (a) develop statistical methods required to meet future education research challenges and (b) teach other researchers how to use more advanced quantitative methods.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B120017
Grant
Postdoctoral Training Program on Human Capital Interventions in Development
This program trained four postdoctoral fellows in a variety of methodological techniques within studies that explored the effects of education interventions across childhood and adolescence.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B120013
Grant
Assessing Complex Performance: A Postdoctoral Training Program Researching Students Writing and Assessment in Digital Workspaces
Researchers trained six postdoctoral fellows for 2 years each to become well-rounded researchers. The research opportunities offered to fellows included (1) innovations in formative and summative assessment, (2) the development of methods for assessment of complex performance (such as writing), (3) the disciplinary practices of discipline areas captured in written reports and essays, and (4) the evaluation of a large-scale assessment tool used by the state of Illinois.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B110008
Grant
Preparing Education Scientists: A Postdoctoral Training Program Emphasizing Rigorous Research on Systems-Level Prevention and Remediation of Academic and Behavioral Problems
This postdoctoral training program supported and trained five post-doctoral fellows with expertise in the following areas: (1) research design and implementation, (2) applied content expertise, and (3) methodology and data analysis
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B110012
Grant
Postdoctoral Training Program in Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Methods for Education Research
This research training program recruited and provided mentoring to six fellows, five of whom completed the training.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B110001
Grant
Post-doctoral Training Program in Interdisciplinary Education Research
The postdoctoral program trained four scientists to do rigorous research on learning conditions related to curriculum, instruction, and assessment for diverse K–12 student populations.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B110003
Grant
Berkeley Research Experience and Methodology (BREM) Program
This postdoctoral program trained 6 postdoctoral fellows for 2 years each. A major methodological focus of the training program was multilevel and hierarchical modeling and the design and analysis of both randomized and observational studies in the presence of clustering.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B110017
Grant
Penn GSE in Postdoctoral Training Program in the Education Sciences
This program trained five fellows to focus on the effects of leadership and teaching on student achievement. The program targeting three main areas: theory, research design and methods, and fieldwork.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B100013
Grant
Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Research Training Program in Education Sciences
The University of Virginia Postdoctoral Interdisciplinary Training Program in the Education Sciences provided training for five fellows in multiple projects including ones focused on teacher quality, early childhood, and social and behavioral contexts for academic learning.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B100009
Grant
Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research on Consultation-Based Interventions for Students with Social and Behavioral Concerns
The primary goal of this training program was to prepared researchers to conduct investigations that evaluate approaches designed to support student learning and achievement via the reduction of social and behavioral problems.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B080010
Grant
Postdoctoral Training: Research Methods in the Learning Sciences
This program trained five postdoctoral fellows to develop computer-based learning and assessment tools, conduct classroom studies, and design instruments that evaluated student learning in math and science
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B080008
Grant
Postdoctoral Research Training in Language and Literacy Interventions With Special Populations
The Georgia State University Postdoctoral Research Training in Language and Literacy Interventions with Special Populations trained five postdoctoral fellows by offering them individualized research experiences within the context of interdisciplinary research teams.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A070313
Grant
Arithmetic Practice that Promotes Conceptual Understanding and Computational Fluency
Algebra is widely regarded as a "gatekeeper" to future educational and employment opportunities. Unfortunately, there are growing concerns about children's poor performance and inadequate understandings of fundamental concepts in algebra, such as mathematical equivalence. In response to these concerns, many mathematics educators have called for algebra to be treated as a K-12 strand. They argue that teachers should focus on fundamental algebraic concepts, even at the elementary school leve...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B070297
Grant
Explicit Comprehension Instruction in an Automated Reading Tutor that Listens
Many students struggle to understand what they read even after they have achieved proficiency in basic reading skills (e.g., decoding, word recognition). Explicit instruction in reading comprehension, especially in the early grades, has been widely neglected in classroom practice, with relatively little research conducted that develops and evaluates instructional approaches for teaching reading comprehension in the primary grades. The purpose of this project is to develop and evaluate an a...
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B070458
Grant
The Berkeley Research Experience and Methodology (BREM) Program
In the Berkeley Research Experience and Methodology Program, postdoctoral fellows investigated which characteristics, resources, and practices of teachers led to educationally significant differences in the students they taught.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A070254
Grant
Comprehensive Postdoctoral Training in Scientific Education Research
In this training program, the trainers recruited and mentored six postdoctoral fellows, five of whom completed the full training, in ongoing projects regarding applied scientific research in education. The trainers provided fellows with complementary training in using state-of-the-art methodologies.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305A070491
Grant
Postdoctoral Training in Behavioral and Family Supports
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Postdoctoral Research Training Program in the Education Sciences trained four fellows to conduct research relevant to early childhood education and related fields.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B060021
Grant
Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Training Program in Education Sciences
The Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Education Sciences at the University of Virginia Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) trained six postdoctoral fellows via two research training rotations. The primary training rotation involved funded projects within CASTL. Among these projects were five randomized evaluation trials, quasi-experimental studies on large scale databases of state and national significance, planned comparison evaluations, natural history
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B060009
Grant
Postdoctoral Research Training in the Education Sciences
The focus of the program was on research addressing school-wide behavior support practices and integration of family support systems within schools, as well as methodological issues of studying intervention effects
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B060014
Grant
Postdoctoral Training in Early Childhood Research
The goal of this program was to provide recent PhD recipients with intensive training in curriculum intervention and teacher quality research in early childhood classrooms.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B050030
Grant
Postdoctoral Research Training in Education Sciences
This program trained five postdoctoral fellows in advanced measurement, research design, and statistical analysis methods to support high-quality educational research. The fellows worked in on a variety of substantive and methodological educational research projects at Northwestern University.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B050014
Grant
PIRT Program to Increase Research Capacity in Educational Science
The Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) trained six postdoctoral fellows in its Postdoctoral Interdisciplinary Training Program (PIRT) in Education Science. FCRR took an interdisciplinary approach to facilitate and better understand the reading achievement of Florida's children.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B050032
Grant
Experimental Education Research Training (ExpERT)
ExpERT trained five postdoctoral education scientists to enhance student learning through randomized field experiments of theory-based interventions and approaches.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B050029
Grant
Postdoctoral Training in Reading and Language Research
The program trained three postdoctoral fellows for research careers in educational science with a special emphasis in reading research.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B050022
Grant
Postdoctoral Training and Research in Children's Early Mathematical Training
This training program prepared fellows to conduct research relevant to the socioeconomic status (SES)-related gap in mathematical knowledge that appears early and widens during early childhood.
Federal funding program:
Award number:
R305B050013
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