Research Priorities

At the Board meeting held in September 2005, the Board approved IES's priorities for research. The long-term goals associated with the Institute's priorities are fourfold:

• First, to develop or identify a substantial number of programs, practices, policies, and approaches that enhance academic achievement and that can be widely deployed; second, to identify what does not work and what is problematic or inefficient, and thereby encourage innovation and further research; third, to gain fundamental understanding of the processes that underlie variations in the effectiveness of education programs, practices, policies, and approaches; and fourth, to develop delivery systems for the results of education research that will be routinely used by policymakers, educators, and the general public when making education decisions. By providing an independent, scientific base of evidence and promoting and enabling its use, the Institute aims to further the transformation of education into an evidence-based field, and thereby enable the nation to educate all of its students effectively. (See Attachment A for full text of the approved priorities.)

NBES is pleased with the Institute's initial progress consistent with the priorities above and looks forward to the results of the ongoing evaluation to provide a more complete appraisal.