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

The National Research & Development Centers

U.S. Department of Education
Office of Educational Research and Improvement

U.S. Department of Education
Richard W. Riley
Secretary

Office of Educational Research and Improvement
C. Kent McGuire
Assistant Secretary

Media and Information Services
Cynthia Hearn Dorfman
Director

May 1999

To obtain single copies of this report (while supplies last) or ordering information on other U.S. Department of Education products, call toll-free 1-877-4ED-PUBS (877-433-7827) or write:

Education Publications Center (ED Pubs)
U.S. Department of Education
P.O Box 1398
Jessup, MD 20794-1398

TTY/TTD 1-877-576-7734
FAX 301-470-1244

Online ordering via the Internet:

http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html

Contents

• What is the National Education Research and Development Center Program?
• How Do Research and Developement Centers Serve the Nation?
• What Do Research and Development Centers Do?
• National Research and Development Centers:
  • Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE)
  • Center for Research on the Education of students Placed At Risk (CRESPAR)
  • Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST)
  • Center for Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA)
  • Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy (CTP)
  • National Center for Early Development & Learning (NCEDL)
  • National Center for Improving Student Learning and Achievement in Mathematics and Science (NCISLA)
  • National Center for Postsecondary Improvement (NCPI)
  • National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL)
  • Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE)
  • Center on English Learning & Achievement (CELA)
  • National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented (NRC/GT)

What is the National Education Research and Development Center Program?

How Do Research and Development Centers Serve the Nation?

What Do Research and Development Centers Do?

• Conduct a coherent, sustained program of research and development to address problems and issues of national significance, using a well-conceptualized and theoretically sound framework;

• Contribute to the development and advancement of theory;

• Conduct scientifically rigorous studies capable of generating findings that contribute substantially to understanding the field;

• Conduct work of sufficient size, scope, and duration to produce definitive guidance for improvement efforts and further research;

• Address issues of both equity and excellence in education for all students; and

• Document, report, and disseminate information about research findings and other accomplishments in ways that will facilitate effective use of that information in professional development for educators, families, and community members, as appropriate.

Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE)

The Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE) mission is to assist the nation's diverse students at risk of educational failure to achieve academic excellence. Central to its mission, CREDE's research and development focuses on critical issues in the education of linguistic and cultural minority students and those placed at risk of educational failure by factors of race, poverty, geographic location, and limited English proficiency.

University of California, Santa Cruz
1156 High Street
College Eight, Room 201
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
(831) 459-3500
Fax: (831) 459-3502

Director:

Roland Tharp, tharp@cats.ucsc.edu

Web site:

http://www.crede.ucsc.edu/
http://www.cal.org/crede/

OERI Contact:

Gilbert N. Garcia (202) 219-2144, gil_garcia@ed.gov
National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students

Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At-Risk (CRESPAR)

The mission of the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk (CRESPAR) is to conduct the research, development, evaluation, and dissemination needed to transform schooling for students placed at risk. The work of the Center is guided by three central themes--ensuring the success of all students at key development points, building on students' personal and cultural assets, and scaling up effective programs. The work is conducted through seven research and development and a program of institutional activities.

Johns Hopkins University, CSOS
Center for Social Organization of Schools (CSOS)
3003 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218
(410) 516-8800
Fax: (410) 516-8890

and

Howard University
2900 Van Ness Street NW
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 806-8484
Fax: (202) 806-8498

Co-directors:

Robert Slavin (Johns Hopkins), rslavin@successforall.net
A. Wade Boykin (Howard), boykin@crespar.law.howard.edu

Web site:

http://scov.csos.jhu.edu/crespar/index.html

OERI Contact:

Ron Pedone (202) 219-2247, rpedone@ed.gov
National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students

Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST)

The mission of the Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) focuses on the assessment of educational quality, addressing persistent problems, in the design and use of assessment systems to serve multiple purposes. CRESST research partners include UCLA; the University of Colorado at Boulder; Stanford University; The RAND Corporation: the University of California, Santa Barbara; the University of Southern California; the Educational Testing Service; and the University of Pittsburgh.

University of California, Los Angeles
Graduate School of Education and Information Studies
301 GSE and IS Building
Box 951522
Los Angeles, CA 90095
(310) 206-1532
Fax: (310) 825-3883

Co-directors:

Eva L. Baker, eva@ces.ucla.edu
Robert Linn, linnr@spot.colorado.edu

Web site:

http://www.cse.ucla.edu/

OERI Contact:

David Sweet (202) 219-1748, david_sweet@ed.gov
National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and Assessment

Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA)

The mission of the Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA) is to improve the reading achievement of America's children by generating and disseminating theoretical, empirical, and practical solutions to persistent problems in the learning and teaching of beginning reading.

The model that underlies CIERA's efforts acknowledges many influences on children's reading acquisition. These multiple influences can be represented in three successive layers, each yielding an area of inquiry in the CIERA scope of work: 1—Readers and Texts; Inquiry; 2—Home and School; and Inquiry; 3—Policy and Profession.

University of Michigan
School of Education
610 E. University Avenue, Rm 1600 SEB
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1259
(734) 647-6940
Fax: (734)763-1229

Director:

Elfrieda H. Hiebert (University of Michigan), hiebert@umich.edu

Co-directors:

Connie Juel (University of Virginia), clj3@virginia.edu

P. David Pearson (Michigan State University), ppearson@pilot.msu.edu

Web site:

http://www.ciera.org/

OERI Contact:

Anne P. Sweet (202) 219-2043, anne_sweet@ed.gov
National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and Assessment

Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy (CTP)

The mission of the Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy (CTP) is to investigate the relation between excellent teaching an policymaking. Combining macro perspectives on the system as a whole and micro perspectives on the classroom and school, the Center will focus its research on teacher policy environments at all levels of the system—national, state, and local—and the implications of these environments for teachers' work and careers.

University of Washington
College of Education Box 353600
Box 353600
203C Miller Hall
Seattle, Washington 98195
(206) 221-4114
Fax: (206) 616-6762

Director:

Michael Knapp, ctpmail@u.washington.edu

Web site:

http://depts.washington.edu/ctpmail

OERI Contact:

Ron Anson (202) 219-2214, ron_anson@ed.gov
National Institute on Educational Governance, Finance, Policy-Making, and Management

National Center for Early Development and Learning (NCEDL)

Research at the National Center for Early Development and Learning (NCEDL) aims to enhance the cognitive, social and emotional development of children from birth to age eight. The Center uses four strategies to reach this goal: (1) develops a national research agenda focused upon critical issues in early childhood practices; (2) creates partnerships with others who care about young children; (3) synthesizes knowledge about young children and recommends directions for policy and practice; and (4) translates research into practice and shares this information with diverse audiences.

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
CB #8185
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8185
(919) 966-4250
Fax: (919) 966-7532

Director:

Don Bailey, Don_Baily@unc.edu

Web site:

http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~ncedl/

OERI Contact:

Naomi Karp (202) 219-1586, naomi_karp@ed.gov
National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education

National Center for Improving Student Learning and Achievement in Mathematics and Science (NCISLA)

Wisconsin Center for Education Research
University of Wisconsin - Madison
1025 West Johnson Street
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 265-6240
Fax: (608)263-3406

Director:

Thomas A. Romberg, tromberg@facstaff.wisc.edu

Web Site:

http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/NCISLA/

OERI Contacts:

Wanda Chambers (202) 219-2035; wanda_chambers@ed.gov
Ram Singh (202) 219-2025, ram_singh@ed.gov
National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and Assessment

National Center for Postsecondary Improvement (NCPI)

The mission of the National Center for Postsecondary Improvement (NCPI) is to provide leadership for the transformation and improvement of postsecondary education. Through its research and dissemination activities, NCPI seeks to help institutions and policymakers adapt to a growing set of internal and external pressures, as well as to inform students and parents, employers and civic leaders, and administration and faculty about emerging issues in higher education.

Stanford University
School of Education
508 CERAS, 520 Galvez Mall
Stanford, CA 94305-3084
(650) 723-7724
Fax: (650) 725-3936

Director:

Patricia J. Gumport, gumport@stanford.edu

Web site:

http://ncpi.stanford.edu

OERI Contact:

Gregory Henschel (202) 219-2082, gregory_henschel@ed.gov
National Institute on Postsecondary Education, Libraries, and Lifelong Learning

National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL)

The goals of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) are to help the field of adult education define a comprehensive research agenda; to pursue basic and applied research to improve practice in adult education programs; to build partnerships between researchers and practitioners; and to disseminate research and best practices to practitioners, scholars, and policymakers. NCSALL focuses on Americans who have low literacy skills, who do not speak English, and who do not have a high school diploma.

Director:

John P. Comings, john_comings@harvard.edu

Web Site:

http://gseweb.harvard.edu/~ncsall

OERI Contact:

Harold Himmelfarb (202) 219-2031, harold_himmelfarb@ed.gov
National Institute on Postsecondary Education, Libraries, and Lifelong Learning.

Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE)

The mission of the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) is to advance the field of education policy research and provide sound knowledge to those policymakers and practitioners who must make practical choices about policies to improve student learning. Founded in 1985 when the current education reform movement began, CPRE continues to build on its past work in areas such as curriculum and student standards, teacher policies, education governance, school finance, deregulation, and standards-based reform.

Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE)
Graduate School of Education
University of Pennsylvania
3440 Market Street, Suite 560
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3325
(215) 573-0700
Fax: (215) 573-7914

Director:

Susan Fuhrman

Web site:

http://www.upenn.edu/gse/cpre/

OERI Contact:

Betty Demarest (202) 219-2217, elizabeth_demarest@ed.gov
National Institute on Educational Governance, Finance, Policy-Making, and Management

The Center on English Learning & Achievement (CELA) is dedicated to improving the teaching and learning of English language and literacy, grades K-12. The Center's research focuses on the knowledge and skill students need to read, write, and communicate effectively throughout their lives. A range of research studies are identifying ways that: instruction in both English language arts and other classes can improve student literacy; technology can enhance students' literacy development; curriculum as well as teaching skills and strategies lead to outstanding results, and teacher preparation and development can boost student achievement. CELA findings provide a knowledge base that teachers, administrators and policymakers can use to make decisions about effective curriculum, instruction, and assessment across subjects and grade levels.

University at Albany
State University of New York
School of Education
1400 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12222
(518) 442-5026
Fax: (518) 442-5933
E-mail: cela@cnsvax.albany.edu

Co-directors:

Judith A. Langer, Arthur N. Applebee, and Martin Nystrand

Web site:

http://cela.albany.edu/

OERI Contact:

Rita Foy (202) 219-2027, rita_foy@ed.gov
National Institute on Student Achievement, Curriculum, and Assessment

National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented (NRC/GT)

The mission of the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented (NRC/GT) is to plan and conduct theory-driven quantitative and qualitative research that is problem-based, practice relevant, and consumer-oriented. Our mission includes a broad-based dissemination function, and the formation of a nationwide cooperative of researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and other persons and groups that have a stake in the psychology and education of high potential youth from preschool through postsecondary levels. Emphasis is placed on identifying the research needs of economically disadvantaged youth, individuals of limited English proficiency, individuals with disabilities, and other special populations that traditionally have been underserved in programs for gifted and talented programs.

University of Connecticut
362 Fairfield Road U-7
Storrs, CT 06269-2007
(860) 486-4676
Fax: (860) 486-2900

Director:

Joseph S. Renzulli, renzulli@uconnvm.uconn.edu

Web site:

http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/nrcgt.html

OERI Contact:

Kelley Berry (202) 219-2096, kelley_berry@ed.gov
National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students

-###-

Return to Publications page