A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Prospects

NERPPB was created by Congress to play an important role in education research. Its role is to approve priorities and standards, provide links across research and education with the public and policymakers, and provide a non-partisan voice for education research. The current membership has been serving for 3 1/2 years, a record of unusual longevity in the federal government for such a group. It has performed on demand and intensively as it quickly developed an operating style and undertook the approval of standards and collaboration/approval of research priorities plans that occupied its entire attention for more than 18 months. As Congress specified, the Board represents researchers, practicing educators, and other influential participants in the production and use of education research; it has found ways to assure that different voices are heard.

The Board has "done its homework," following key decisions early in 1997. It has organized itself around its continuing and most influential responsibilities. It has demonstrated its commitment to bring researchers, educators, and policymakers together through its workshops and commissioned work. The Board was intended to be a constructive contributor in its association with the Assistant Secretary, not just a passive reactor. It is especially fortunate that the products of the Board's efforts are becoming available as a new Assistant Secretary assumes his own responsibilities. The sum of the Board?s output to date includes:

• a synthesis report on program priorities,
• a report on critical transitions,
• a report on teacher professional development,
• a report on R&D capacity,
• a report on implementation of peer review standards,
• a brochure on three sets of education research quality standards,
• a report on the research, development, and communication system,
• a history of federal education research and OERI,
• a map of the current RD&D system,
• an analysis of the fit of the education RD&D system with the infrastructure requirements for research needs,
• a comparison of RD&D systems in education with those of other agencies,
• an analysis of the Department role in education knowledge-building and information gathering, and
• a report of the conference on education research planning across agencies.

In accordance with the Board?s request, the Executive Director will continue to make visits to congressional offices to represent the Board. The productivity of those visits should be enhanced now that results from the Board's own work can be shared.

What comes next for the Board can be shaped by interest and response to these products from the Office of the Assistant Secretary, the education community, Congress, and the general public. There could be many options for next steps by the Board along two dimensions: one from lesser to greater levels of endorsement of these reports; and the other dimension from lesser to greater collaboration with the Assistant Secretary, ranging from simple dissemination of the reports to intensive outreach efforts, influences, and focus groups. These efforts will be an essential part of the Board's responsibility for assimilating and synthesizing the variety of alternatives presented in the reports as it prepares to submit its recommendations for the reauthorization of OERI to the Secretary and Congress.

Eve M. Bither, Executive Director
NERPP Board
U.S. Department of Education
80 F Street NW, Suite 100
Washington, DC 20208-7564
Telephone: (202) 208-0692
E-mail: Eve.Bither@ed.gov

[Accomplishments of the Board to Date]