Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Summary February 14, 2011
Section II. F. Institute of Education Sciences
Overview
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) supports sustained programs of research, evaluation,
and statistics to provide solutions to the problems and challenges faced by schools and learners.
Investment in research and statistics activities is critical in order to identify effective instructional
and program practices, track student achievement, and measure the impact of educational
reform. Through its four centersthe National Center for Education Research, the National
Center for Education Statistics, the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional
Assistance, and the National Center for Special Education ResearchIES ensures that the
Federal investment in education research, statistics, and evaluation is well-managed and
relevant to the needs of educators and policymakers.
For 2012, the Administration is seeking $760.5 million for IES activities, an increase of
$101.5 million over the 2011 CR level. This request would enable IES to award up to $40 million
in new research and development grants in early learning and elementary, secondary, and
postsecondary education and to initiate several new evaluations of interventions to improve
college enrollment, persistence, and completion and an evaluation of the Promise
Neighborhoods program.
The request also would maintain the Administration's commitment to supporting high quality
statistics and assessment programs and to help States improve the quality of longitudinal student
data systems. Finally, the request would be used to award new contracts for the Regional
Educational Laboratories (REL) program to expand and strengthen the Department's technical
assistance to States and districts.
Research, Development, and Dissemination
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$200.2 |
$200.2 |
$260.4 |
The request includes an increase of $60.2 million over the 2011 CR level, or 30 percent, to
support critical investments in education research, development, dissemination, and evaluation
that provide parents, teachers, and schools with evidence-based information on effective
educational practice. The request would fund additional awards under existing programs of
research and development in areas where our knowledge of learning and instruction is
inadequate. New funding also would support, as part of the Administration's government-wide
initiative to strengthen program evaluation, evaluations of efforts to expand college access and
completion and the Promise Neighborhoods program.
Statistics
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$108.5 |
$108.5 |
$117.0 |
The Department's statistics programsoperated primarily through competitively awarded
contracts administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)provide general
statistics about trends in education, collect data to monitor reform and measure educational
progress, and inform the IES research agenda. The 2012 request, which includes an increase of
$8.5 million over the 2011 CR level, would support the collection, analysis, and dissemination of
education-related statistics in response both to legislative requirements and to the particular
needs of data providers, data users, and educational researchers. The increase would allow
NCES to undertake its first study of sub-baccalaureate education and training for adults (training
that provides workplace certifications and licenses), provide fall testing for the Early Childhood
Longitudinal Study to study summer learning loss, and develop enhanced reporting and data
tools that will improve access to and usability of NCES data.
|
Regional Educational Laboratories
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$70.7 |
$70.7 |
$69.7 |
The requested funds would be used to award new 5-year REL contracts that would continue the
important work of the RELs in providing a bridge between education research and practice. Key
priorities include providing technical assistance on performing data analysis functions, evaluating
programs, and using data from State longitudinal data systems for research and evaluation that
addresses important issues of policy and practice. The $1 million decrease proposed for 2012
reflects the completion of funding for the program evaluation.
Assessment
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$138.8 |
$138.8 |
$143.8 |
The request would fund the ongoing National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and
the National Assessment Governing Board. NAEP measures and reports on the status of and
trends in student learning over time, on a subject-by-subject basis, and makes objective
information on student performance available to policymakers, educators, parents, and the
public. NAEP is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what American
students know and can do, and it has become a key measure of our Nation's educational
performance. NAEP activities are conducted through competitively awarded contracts.
At the request level, the Department plans to conduct a 2012 grade 12 economics assessment
and a long-term trend assessment that follows the progress of reading and mathematics
achievement for the Nation's 9-, 12-, and 17-year-old students. The request also would fund
preparations for future assessments and for continued analysis and reporting of assessments
conducted prior to 2012, as well as a special study on the meaning of NAEP score gains.
Research in Special Education
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$71.1 |
$71.1 |
$58.1 |
This program supports discretionary grants and contracts for research to address gaps in
scientific knowledge in order to improve special education and early intervention services for
infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities. The requested funds would support new programs
of research on families of children with disabilities and technology for special education, as well
as ongoing programs of research, including research intended to improve the developmental
outcomes and school readiness of infants, toddlers, and young children with disabilities; to
improve educational outcomes in core subject areas for children with disabilities; and to improve
social and behavioral outcomes. The 2012 request would allow the Department to fund all
research grant applications that meet IES research quality standards.
Statewide Data Systems
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$58.3 |
$58.3 |
$100.0 |
This program supports competitive awards to State educational agencies to foster the design,
development, and implementation of longitudinal data systems that enable States to use data on
student learning, teacher performance, and college- and career-readiness to enhance the
provision of education and close achievement gaps. Most of the funding requested would
support new awards to States that would allow them to continue to expand and improve their
data systems, including linkages between elementary, secondary, postsecondary, and
workforce data systems. In addition, up to $15 million would be used for awards to public or
private agencies and organizations to support activities to improve data coordination, quality, and
use at the local, State, and national levels.
Special Education Studies and Evaluations
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$11.5 |
$11.5 |
$11.5 |
This program supports competitive grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements to assess the
implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the effectiveness of State
and local efforts to provide special education and early intervention programs and services to
infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities. The request would support a new study of
outcomes from preschool special education and provide continued support for studies of
transition and learning outcomes for students with disabilities and promising teacher preparation
for teachers of students with disabilities. Funds also would be used for the required national
assessment of activities supported with Federal special education funds and other ongoing
studies and evaluations of special education.
Higher Education Programs
Programs Proposed for Consolidation or Elimination
For further information contact the ED Budget Service.
This page last modifiedFebruary 14, 2011 (mjj).