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Title 20 — EducationRelease 119-73

§9515 Priorities

Title 20 › Chapter CHAPTER 76— - EDUCATION RESEARCH, STATISTICS, EVALUATION, INFORMATION, AND DISSEMINATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - EDUCATION SCIENCES REFORM › Part Part A— - The Institute of Education Sciences › § 9515

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Director must pick and propose the Institute’s top research and policy priorities. The Director should think about long-term work done at national research centers. The topics can be broad or specific and must include things like closing achievement gaps, making sure all children get a high-quality education and meet state standards (especially in math, science, and reading), improving access to college, and studying how well school technology works and how much it costs. The Board will accept, reject, or ask for changes to the proposed priorities and will send any approved priorities to the right congressional committees. The Board must also make sure the priorities match the Institute’s mission and the National Education Centers. Before the Board sees the proposed priorities, the Director must publish them for public comment for at least 60 days, including on the Internet and in the Federal Register, and must give the Board copies of the comments received. After the Board approves the priorities, the Director must publish the Institute’s plan to address them and again open it to public comment in the same way.

Full Legal Text

Title 20, §9515

Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Director shall propose to the Board priorities for the Institute (taking into consideration long-term research and development on core issues conducted through the national research and development centers). The Director shall identify topics that may require long-term research and topics that are focused on understanding and solving particular education problems and issues, including those associated with the goals and requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), and the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), such as—
(1)closing the achievement gap between high-performing and low-performing children, especially achievement gaps between minority and nonminority children and between disadvantaged children and such children’s more advantaged peers; and
(2)ensuring—
(A)that all children have the ability to obtain a high-quality education (from early childhood through postsecondary education) and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and State academic assessments, particularly in mathematics, science, and reading or language arts;
(B)access to, and opportunities for, postsecondary education; and
(C)the efficacy, impact on academic achievement, and cost-effectiveness of technology use within the Nation’s schools.
(b)The Board shall approve or disapprove the priorities for the Institute proposed by the Director, including any necessary revision of those priorities. The Board shall transmit any priorities so approved to the appropriate congressional committees.
(c)The Board shall ensure that priorities of the Institute and the National Education Centers are consistent with the mission of the Institute.
(d)(1)Before submitting to the Board proposed priorities for the Institute, the Director shall make such priorities available to the public for comment for not less than 60 days (including by means of the Internet and through publishing such priorities in the Federal Register). The Director shall provide to the Board a copy of each such comment submitted.
(2)Upon approval of such priorities, the Director shall make the Institute’s plan for addressing such priorities available for public comment in the same manner as under paragraph (1).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 89–10, Apr. 11, 1965, 79 Stat. 27, which is classified generally to chapter 70 (§ 6301 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 6301 of this title and Tables. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is title VI of Pub. L. 91–230, Apr. 13, 1970, 84 Stat. 175, which is classified generally to chapter 33 (§ 1400 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1400 of this title and Tables. The Higher Education Act of 1965, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 89–329, Nov. 8, 1965, 79 Stat. 1219, which is classified generally to chapter 28 (§ 1001 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1001 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

2004—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 108–446, in introductory provisions, substituted “including those associated with the goals and requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), and the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), such as” for “including those associated with the goals and requirements established in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) and the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), such as”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

20 U.S.C. § 9515

Title 20 — Education

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73