IESNEWS Listserv

The IESNEWS Listserv is a free service offered by the Institute of Education Sciences. Subscribers interested in education research, evaluation, and statistics automatically receive periodic notification of information available on the IES website. Subscribe now.

News and Events

Regional Educational Lab Contracts Awarded
The U.S. Education Department has awarded new 5-year contracts to 10 Regional Educational Laboratories charged with carrying out research, development, dissemination, training, and technical assistance activities. Administered by the department's National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance in the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the laboratories "provide a critical link between research and practice," said Grover J. (Russ) Whitehurst, IES director.

Priorities for the Institute of Education Sciences as approved by the National Board for Education Sciences
The National Board for Education Sciences has approved research priorities for the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). Proposed by IES Director Grover (Russ) Whitehurst under the terms of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, the priorities were submitted for public comment summer 2005, and approved at the National Board's meeting September 6-7, 2005 in Washington, DC.
Priorities in Outline form

The Registry of Outcome Evaluators is an online database about evaluators (individuals or organizations) who conduct research on the effects of educational interventions. This resource is designed to help schools, school districts, and educational program developers identify potential evaluators to conduct studies on educational outcomes.

The information in the Registry of Outcome Evaluators is supplied solely by the evaluators themselves. The evaluators have the option to indicate that confidentiality provisions prevent them from including a full listing of examples of their project experience or publications. In these cases, the evaluator's profile indicates that the evaluator has elected to keep this information confidential and users may contact the evaluator for further information.

Neither the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) nor the U.S. Department of Education endorses any individuals or organizations listed in the Registry. The WWC does not verify the accuracy of the information submitted by the evaluators nor does it assess their qualifications.

On an ongoing basis, the Registry of Outcome Evaluators accepts registration forms from evaluators for inclusion in the Registry. To search the Registry of Outcome Evaluators, click here.

New Guide on Evidence Based Education 

The field of education contains a vast array of educational interventions that claim to be able to improve educational outcomes and, in many cases, to be supported by evidence. However, education practitioners are faced with the challenge of deciding if the evidence is credible and whether an intervention is truly effective. NCEE has issued a new guide on evidence based education, titled "Identifying and Implementing Educational Practices Supported by Rigorous Evidence." This guide offers tools to educational practitioners that help distinguish practices supported by rigorous evidence from those that are not. PDF | HTML

NCEE funds Development and Impact Evaluation of Academic Instruction for After-School Programs

The National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE) in IES has funded a study, Development, Implementation, and Impact Evaluation of Academic Instruction for After-School Programs. The focus of this project is to strengthen the academic component of after-school programs funded by the 21^st Century Community Learning Centers program and to determine whether an enhanced academic component improves standardized test scores and overall academic achievement. NCEE's contractor, MDRC, is inviting developers of effective reading or math curricula to submit proposals by January 7, 2004 to modify their curricula for use in after-school programs and for evaluation in the study. The RFP for curricula development is available at the MDRC website:  www.mdrc.org/publications/curriculum_development_rfp.htm

APA/IES Postdoctoral Education Research Training Fellowships

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has awarded the American Psychological Association Education Directorate a $2 million grant to create a Postdoctoral Education Research Training Program (APA/IES PERT). The overall objectives of the APA/IES PERT program are to attract greater numbers of psychologists to careers in school-based education research and to increase the application of cutting edge psychological science to high quality research on teaching, learning and achievement of preK-12 students. For information, please visit: http://www.apa.org/ed/cpse/mentors.html