§9533 — Title 20 Education | U.S. Code

Summary

Set and keep peer‑review and research quality rules. Create and send a research plan to the Director that matches the Institute’s and Center’s missions. Carry out approved long‑term studies using objective, measurable indicators and timelines. Follow the Director’s peer‑review procedures and the Center’s research standards. Do both basic and applied research, including field‑initiated and ongoing projects. Make sure contractors and grantees can do scientifically valid work. Help the federal government use sound research, take part in interagency projects, make studies relevant to education practice and policy, share results through the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, and help prepare a report every two years. Study successful state and local reforms, the effects of technology on learning (including long‑term, large, peer‑reviewed studies of what is most effective and cost‑efficient and how teachers use tech), and large, rigorous studies to find the best ways to teach math and science, including in low‑performing schools, as required under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The Research Commissioner must fund at least 8 national research and development centers and give each at least one of 11 topics (adult literacy; assessment, standards, and accountability; early childhood; English learners; improving low‑achieving schools; innovation in education reform; state and local policy; postsecondary education and training; rural education; teacher quality; reading and literacy). Centers must address national needs and, where appropriate, include educational technology. Support is for up to 5 years and can be renewed without competition for up to 5 more years if the Director, the Research Commissioner, and the Board agree it still fits priorities and merits renewal, but no center may be supported more than 10 years without a competitive award process. Awards in effect on November 5, 2002 continue under their terms and may be renewed under these rules. When possible, research results should be broken down by age, race, gender, and socioeconomic background.

Title 20, §9533

Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Research Center shall—

(1)maintain published peer-review standards and standards for the conduct and evaluation of all research and development carried out under the auspices of the Research Center in accordance with this part;

(2)propose to the Director a research plan that—

(A)is consistent with the priorities and mission of the Institute and the mission of the Research Center and includes the activities described in paragraph (3); and

(B)shall be carried out pursuant to paragraph (4) and, as appropriate, be updated and modified;

(3)carry out specific, long-term research activities that are consistent with the priorities and mission of the Institute, and are approved by the Director;

(4)implement the plan proposed under paragraph (2) to carry out scientifically valid research that—

(A)uses objective and measurable indicators, including timelines, that are used to assess the progress and results of such research;

(B)meets the procedures for peer review established by the Director under section 9514(f)(5) of this title and the standards of research described in section 9534 of this title; and

(C)includes both basic research and applied research, which shall include research conducted through field-initiated research and ongoing research initiatives;

(5)promote the use of scientifically valid research within the Federal Government, including active participation in interagency research projects described in section 9518 of this title;

(6)ensure that research conducted under the direction of the Research Center is relevant to education practice and policy;

(7)synthesize and disseminate, through the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, the findings and results of education research conducted or supported by the Research Center;

(8)assist the Director in the preparation of a biennial report, as described in section 9519 of this title;

(9)carry out research on successful State and local education reform activities, including those that result in increased academic achievement and in closing the achievement gap, as approved by the Director;

(10)carry out research initiatives regarding the impact of technology, including—

(A)research into how technology affects student achievement;

(B)long-term research into cognition and learning issues as they relate to the uses of technology;

(C)rigorous, peer-reviewed, large-scale, long-term, and broadly applicable empirical research that is designed to determine which approaches to the use of technology are most effective and cost-efficient in practice and under what conditions; and

(D)field-based research on how teachers implement technology and Internet-based resources in the classroom, including an understanding 11 So in original. Probably should be “understanding of”. how these resources are being accessed, put to use, and the effectiveness of such resources; and

(11)carry out research that is rigorous, peer-reviewed, and large scale to determine which methods of mathematics and science teaching are most effective, cost efficient, and able to be applied, duplicated, and scaled up for use in elementary and secondary classrooms, including in low-performing schools, to improve the teaching of, and student achievement in, mathematics and science as required under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.).

(b)Research carried out under subsection (a) through contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements shall be carried out only by recipients with the ability and capacity to conduct scientifically valid research.

(c)(1)In carrying out activities under subsection (a)(3), the Research Commissioner shall support not less than 8 national research and development centers. The Research Commissioner shall assign each of the 8 national research and development centers not less than 1 of the topics described in paragraph (2). In addition, the Research Commissioner may assign each of the 8 national research and development centers additional topics of research consistent with the mission and priorities of the Institute and the mission of the Research Center.

(2)The Research Commissioner shall support the following topics of research, through national research and development centers or through other means:

(A)Adult literacy.

(B)Assessment, standards, and accountability research.

(C)Early childhood development and education.

(D)English language learners research.

(E)Improving low achieving schools.

(F)Innovation in education reform.

(G)State and local policy.

(H)Postsecondary education and training.

(I)Rural education.

(J)Teacher quality.

(K)Reading and literacy.

(3)The national research and development centers shall address areas of national need, including in educational technology areas. The Research Commissioner may support additional national research and development centers to address topics of research not described in paragraph (2) if such topics are consistent with the priorities and mission of the Institute and the mission of the Research Center. The research carried out by the centers shall incorporate the potential or existing role of educational technology, where appropriate, in achieving the goals of each center.

(4)Support for a national research and development center shall be for a period of not more than 5 years, shall be of sufficient size and scope to be effective, and notwithstanding section 9534(b) of this title, may be renewed without competition for not more than 5 additional years if the Director, in consultation with the Research Commissioner and the Board, determines that the research of the national research and development center—

(A)continues to address priorities of the Institute; and

(B)merits renewal (applying the procedures and standards established in section 9534 of this title).

(5)No national research and development center may be supported under this subsection for a period of more than 10 years without submitting to a competitive process for the award of the support.

(6)The Director shall continue awards made to the national research and development centers that are in effect on the day before November 5, 2002, in accordance with the terms of those awards and may renew them in accordance with paragraphs (4) and (5).

(7)To the extent feasible, research conducted under this subsection shall be disaggregated by age, race, gender, and socioeconomic background.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, referred to in subsec. (a)(11), 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.

§9533 Duties