A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n
NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
POLICY AND PRIORITIES BOARD
Minutes of Meeting
June 19, 1998
June 19, 1998
Location
Room 100
80 F St., NW
Washington, DC 20208-7564
Members Present
Kenji Hakuta, Chair
Patricia Ann Baltz
James E. Bottoms
Jomills H. Braddock, II
John Bruer
Ann Clark
Robert W. Marley
Joyce Muhlestein
Alba Ortiz
Members Absent
Edmund Gordon
Sharon L. Kagan
Claire Pelton
Ex Officio Member Present
C. Kent McGuire, Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Designated Federal Official
Mary Grace Lucier
Board Staff Present
Eve M. Bither
OERI Staff Present
Ron Anson
Sue Betka
Joseph Conaty
Betty Demarest
Jim Fox
Gil Garcia
Jim Griffin
Jacqueline Jenkins
Carole Lacampagne
Barbara Lieb
Debra Hollinger Martinez
Ron Pedone
Department of Education Staff Present
Susan Erdeky, OGC
Bernadette Rossmeyer
Members of the Public Present
Martin Apple, CSS
Penny Engle, ETS
Debbie Leong-Childs, NAE
Richard Hershmal, NEKIA
Margaret Crandall, CAL
Gerald Sroufe, AERA
Chairman Kenji Hakuta called the meeting to order at 8:30 am. The Designated Federal Official, Mary Grace Lucier, confirmed the presence of a quorum.
Report of the Chair
The Chair asked the members to ratify the action taken by the Executive Committee on May 7 to approve the expenditure of $214,158 for a contract to supply logistical support for panel meetings convened by the National Academy of Education (NAE). NAE has contracted with the Board to develop a set of recommendations pertaining to the next research priorities plan. Dr. Bottoms moved the approval of this expenditure; Dr. Bruer seconded the motion. The Chair called for a vote; the motion carried. Dr. Bottoms moved the approval of the minutes of the meeting on March 19 and 20, 1998. Dr. Ortiz seconded the motion. The Chair called for a vote; the motion carried. Dr. Braddock asked the Board to request from the National Center on Education Statistics (NCES) a fast response survey of race relations in American schools. Dr. Bruer moved that the executive director examine what steps would need to be taken to request that a fast response survey of race relations in American schools be conducted. Dr. Ortiz seconded the motion. The Chair called for a vote; the motion carried.
Report of the Executive Director
Ms. Bither presented the third quarter budget report. She called the attention of the members to a memorandum sent to her by Edward Fuentes and Kathy Fitzgerald requesting an additional $24,589 to support the completion of the Board?s peer review study task order. The additional funds would cover additional work (i.e., sampling by panels rather than random sampling, reviewing additional materials, and conducting expanded analyses) which has been recommended by the expert panel. Ms. Bither reported that the office of the Assistant Secretary for OERI had agreed to pay that sum in lieu of making a contribution towards the support of the New Directions in Education Research Planning conference which was cosponsored by OERI. Ms. Bither asked the Board committees and chairs to consider their budget requirements for next year's activities and any follow-up to this year's committee studies and initiatives. She presented an updated version of the Board work plan and submitted a proposed meeting schedule for the next two years, which will also be published for comment on the Board's listserv.
Ethics Briefing
Susan Erdeky of the Office of General Counsel discussed with the members how conflict of interest legislation and standards of ethical conduct apply to them as special government employees (SGEs) and how these impinge on the Board's discussions of the issue of the renewal or recompetition of the research and development centers. Members may not participate in discussions about matters in which their employers or institutions in which they serve as a fiduciary are a party. OGC might consider extending the broad waiver provided to Board members at the outset of their appointments to apply to them in a situation in which faculty members at their institutions were subgrantees or subcontractors, as long as members' own financial interest is not involved. Ms. Erdeky reminded the members of the need to complete their confidential financial disclosure reports and to call the Ethics Counsel staff attorneys for further guidance if needed.
OERI Institutes
Carole Lacampagne, director of the National Institute on Postsecondary Education, Libraries, and Lifelong Learning, made a presentation on the budget, structure, and missions of the five National Research Institutes located in the Office of Educational Research and Improvement and on the National Educational Research and Development Centers Program, all authorized under the Educational Research, Development, Dissemination, and Improvement Act of 1994 (PL 103-227). She was joined by Joseph Conaty, director of the National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and Assessment; Ron Anson, representing Deborah Inman, director of the National Institute on Governance, Finance, Policy Making, and Management; Debra Hollinger Martinez, representing Ed Fuentes, director of the National Institute on the Education of At Risk Students; Jim Griffin, representing Naomi Karp, director of the National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education, who subsequently joined the group.
Members discussed the relationship and interactions between OERI and the centers, their program of work and lines of inquiry, return on investment of resources, and the need to have some way to share information about the accomplishments and successful undertakings supported by the agency with the public and the Congress.
Peer Review Study
Diane August presented an update on her evaluation of the standards for peer review procedures for FY96 and 97 competitions (centers and field-initiated studies). She discussed the findings and concerns of the second meeting of the expert panel on May 11, 1998. A final report in draft form will be prepared prior to the final meeting of the expert panel on September 11, and recommendations deriving from the study will be presented to the Board at its September meeting. The final report will be delivered to the Board by October 30.
FY 2000 Budget Proposal
Assistant Secretary Kent McGuire indicated his intention to submit a budget for FY2000 that emphasizes the core functions of OERI and observed that in his opinion the agency at present has too many parts operating independently of one another.
Ms. Bither asked that the budget be sent out to the Board along with relevant explanations or text so that a discussion about it, possibly by conference call, could be held before the September meeting.
Dr. Bottoms suggested a practical, authentic issue which he contended would resonate with many states, namely, improvement in the teaching of algebra and geometry. The Assistant Secretary replied that several items that are being confronted by many people would make a good frame of reference to identify the agency's activity and contribution towards closing the gap between the effects we now have and the effects we desire.
The Chair mentioned that there presently exist two vacancies on the Board, and indicated the Board's strong desire to have these vacancies filled for the sake of balance as well as other considerations.
The Chair declared the meeting adjourned at 3 p.m.
June 18