Functional Statements > Institute of Education Sciences

A. Office of the Director

The Director of the Institute of Education Sciences serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary on education research, statistics, and evaluation activities. The Director:

• Administers, oversees, and coordinates the activities carried out by the Institute, including the activities of the National Education Centers;
• Coordinates and approves budgets and operating plans for each of the National Education Centers;
• Proposes to the National Board for Education Sciences priorities for the Institute;
• Ensures that the methodology applied in conducting research, development, evaluation, and statistical analysis is consistent with standards required by the Education Sciences Reform Act;
• Coordinates education research and related activities carried out by the Institute with such activities carried out by other offices within the Department and other agencies within the Federal Government;
• Advises the Secretary on research, evaluation, and statistics activities relevant to the activities of the Department;
• Establishes necessary procedures for scientific peer review;
• Ensures that participants in research conducted or supported by the Institute are afforded their privacy rights and other relevant protections as research subjects;
• Ensures that the activities conducted or supported by the Institute are objective, secular, neutral, and nonideological and free of partisan influence and racial, cultural, gender, or regional bias;
• Undertakes activities to increase the participation of researchers and institutions that have been historically underutilized in Federal education research activities;
• Works with other Officers of the Department to promote the coordination of research, development, and technical assistance activities;
• Provides for broad and regular public and professional input into the planning and carrying out of Institute activities;
• Coordinates the wide dissemination of information on scientifically valid research; and
• Carries out other activities consistent with the mission of the Institute.

Staff in the Office of the Director assist in carrying out these responsibilities. The Deputy Director for Administration and Policy and the Deputy Director for Science report to the Director.

Administration and Policy

The Deputy Director for Administration and Policy is responsible for guidance and leadership related to policy and to budget and legislative development. The Deputy Director for Administration and Policy serves as liaison with other offices of the Department regarding legislation, budget, and management operations affecting the Institute. The Deputy Director for Administration and Policy also oversees the following units:

• Management Operations Staff, which is responsible for managing and coordinating personnel activities; administrative functions related to budget execution, financial administration, small purchase procurements, and facilities and equipment; information systems; and the Institute's Executive Secretariat;
• Grants Administration Staff, which is responsible for administrative and management functions related to the award and oversight of grants supported by the Institute; and
• Outreach and Communications Staff, which is responsible for managing the Institute's outreach and communications activities and for managing the print and electronic publication of Institute products.

Science

The Deputy Director for Science is responsible, on behalf of the Director, for liaison with the National Board for Education Sciences. The Deputy Director for Science is responsible for guidance and leadership related to the scientific quality of Institute activities, for special projects and analyses, and for performance evaluation related to the Government Performance and Results Act. The Deputy Director for Science also oversees the following unit:

• Standards and Review Staff, which is responsible for managing the review of Institute reports and other products to ensure that they meet the standards required by the Education Sciences Reform Act and for managing the scientific peer review activities of the Institute.

TOP