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1989 Revised Request-continued
National Assessment of Educational Progress
The 1989 request for the National Assessment of Educational Progress is
$9.5 million. A primary thrust of the National Assessment budget is
implementing the recommendations of the Study Group on National Assessment.
These recommendations were incorporated in the Administration's legislative
proposal, the "National Assessment of Educational Progress Amendments of
1987," and they are reflected in the "National Assessment of Educational
Progress Improvement Act," which is part of the Augustus F. Hawkins –
Robert T. Stafford Elementary and Secondary School Improvement Amendments
of 1988. Chief among the changes are regular assessments of all areas of
the core curriculum; State-representative assessments on a trial basis to
determine whether such assessments yield valid, reliable State-representa-
tive data, which would allow for comparisons among States; and a new
mechanism for developing policy guidance on the design and implementation
of the Assessment, the National Assessment Governing Board.
Considerable developmental work must be undertaken to achieve implementa-
tion of the trial State assessment required for 1990 (State-representative
assessment of mathematics at the eighth grade). The model to be used would
be developed cooperatively with the States, with local administration of the
tests, and State training and monitoring funded by the Federal Government.
The Federal Goverment would also be responsible for the design, develop-
ment, and processing costs and for overall quality control necessary to
make the results comparable and valid. The new National Assessment
Governing Board would formulate policy guidelines for the Assessment.
Funds in 1989 would cover meetings of States, districts, local schools,
and private interests for input and advice on test objectives and other
matters; staff to carry out the iterative commenting and revision processes
to achieve general consensus on test objectives; and field testing of the
1990 State assessments.
Overall, the 1989 National Assessment budget would cover continuation
of the grant for the 1988 national assessment with analysis of the
data yet to be done ($2 million), continuation of the grant for the
1990 basic national assessment ($3 million), and the developmental work
outlined above for the 1990 State assessments ($4.5 million). The 1988
assessment will measure student performance in reading, writing, U.S.
history, and citizenship. The 1990 assessment will cover reading,
mathematics, and science.
The 1989 request for the Office of Research is $23,440,000, an increase of $4,463,000 over the 1988 level.
The Office of Research will continue to support research and development
centers funded in 1988 to provide national research leadership on: the
study of writing; learning; student testing, evaluation, and standards;
reading; teaching and learning in content areas (math, art, literature,
and elementary subjects); postsecondary learning and teaching; teacher
education; education and employment; effective elementary schools;
effective secondary schools; postsecondary management and governance; State
and local policy; the school environment and teachers and teaching; school
leadership; and technology in education ($16,650,000). (The Office also
supports a research center on teaching and learning science funded from
the Secretary's Science and Math Discretionary Fund.) In 1989, a major
center designed to address the problems of disadvantaged and at-risk
students would be funded ($1,620,000), as well as one to study teaching and
learning of civics and citizenship ($500,000). Planning would begin for
the next major center competition to be held in 1990 ($100,000).
Funding for the field-initiated studies program would be increased from the required minimum of $500,000 in 1988 to $1 million in 1989. There has been extraordinary participation of researchers in previous field-initiated programs. In 1987, 140 applications were submitted, but only nine awards could be made.
Funds are also requested ($150,000) to reinstate the research fellowship program, which must be discontinued in 1988 due to the lack of funds. Three fellowships would be awarded in 1989.
Much of the activity of the Office of Research in 1989 would focus on the quality and costs of education, as well as assessment of outcomes. Responding to the major concern of participants in the public forums held
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1989 Revised Request--continued
by the Office of Research in 1987, the Office proposes to establish a
research center focusing on the special challenges of securing excellence
in education for disadvantaged youth. Scholars would pursue investigations
that would help educators to identify ways to build positive peer cultures,
use community support to improve the performance of students, and develop
curricula and school environments that enable disadvantaged youth to
achieve at high levels. Building upon the initiatives of 1987 to improve
the quality of instruction in such essential subjects as mathematics and
literature, the Office proposes to fund a new research center to study
the teaching and learning of civics and citizenship. Scholars would look
beyond the classroom into such things as youth and civic organizations to
understand better how we can cultivate knowledgeable and civic-minded
citizens. Improving our ability to assess students' knowledge of school
subjects is also a component of the larger initiative, a part of which will
facilitate subsequent improvement and expansion of the National Assessment.
In a related initiative, the Office of Research would conduct a comparative
study of how democratic nations teach democratic traditions and
responsibilities ($70,000).
Also in 1987, the Office of Research began a series of research initiatives
to enhance our capacity to assess school practices and how they are linked
to State reform initiatives. A small grants competition limited to the
research centers in 1988 would be followed by a general competition in
1989 ($375,000). As the reform initiative proceeds, this work will give
the nation a greater capacity to determine which set of school reforms
best improves students' knowledge. This information, when combined with
other studies of productivity and efficiency to be funded in 1989
($500,000) would be invaluable to local and State policymakers as they
attempt to focus on essential investments for education reform.
The budget request also includes funds for a set of research programs
focusing on the quality and productivity of higher education. Beginning
in 1986, the Office of Research has sponsored research initiatives
designed to enhance our understanding of the quality of undergraduate
programs. That work on higher education coursework and indicators would
continue in 1989 ($275,000). Also in 1989, the Office proposes to expand
that initiative by investigating the quality of liberal arts programs
($125,000), teacher education programs ($150,000), and graduate science
programs ($175,000). Additional studies of higher education are also
planned ($300,000).
Finally, the Office of Research would oversee research initiatives in early childhood learning ($320,000), student motivation ($300,000), and parental involvement in schools ($200,000). Various research syntheses, intramural research, and research forums would be supported ($180,000), and the reading and literacy studies would be continued ($450,000).
The 1989 request for Programs for the Improvement of Practice is $19,783,000,
which is $1,602,000 less than the amount provided for 1988. The 1988
appropriation of $3,830,000 for the rural education program is the second
year of funding for that program, which Congress indicated was to be a
two-year effort. Consequently, funding for the program is not included in
the 1989 request. 1988 is also the last year of funding for the teacher
education development and demonstration contracts. Funding for some of the
other activities of this office would increase.
$17,633,000 of the amount requested would be used for the fourth year of the five-year contracts for the nine regional education laboratories. The labs will work with State and local educators to identify effective teaching and school leadership techniques, make research findings useful and available, develop training materials, and provide technical assistance in school improvement efforts. Also, a comprehensive four-year evaluation of the labs would be continued in 1989 ($150,000), and planning would begin for the laboratory competition to be conducted in 1990 ($75,000).
Funds of $649,000 are requested to track education reform. The Programs for the Improvement of Practice staff would organize meetings with professional educators and organizations to result in publications on topics critical to education improvement. The staff would meet with evaluators of State reform to discuss how each State is tracking the implementation and assessment of reform policies, and would provide support for six new syntheses on topics such as school-site management in the areas of State educational reform. In conjunction with the release of results from the 1988 NAEP history assessment, they would support the involvement of State and local curriculum developers and policymakers in developing ways to improve the teaching and learning of history. They would provide support for the development of a series of case studies of how parents can be effectively involved in school affairs. They would support a group of tes academic leaders to describe specific policies and practices related to successful higher education assessment. Finally, they would provide support for two groups of superintendents to develop strategies to increase the holding power of schools.
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1989 Revised Request-continued
Programs for the Improvement of Practice would produce a major study of the
reform movement itself. The study would include case studies to understand
how reform and improvement work, and the results would be published in a
book and a series of monographs ($400,000). As part of this initiative, and
in cooperation with the Office of Research and the Department's Office of
Interagency and Intergovernmental Affairs, Programs for the Improvement
of Practice would continue to track and support the reforms proposed by
the National Governors' Association in Time for Results by documenting
progress in the 16 test sites and fostering communications among
those participating in the NGA project. This study will provide new
strategies for effective reform at the grassroots level. Plans also
include a series of booklets or syntheses bringing research to bear on
instructional problems within schools and school systems designed to assist
school policymakere with their schools' improvement activities ($150,000).
Funds would also support 50-60 projects for classroom teachers to conduct
research in areas important to instructional improvement ($280,000).
By convening practicing educators, or those who influence school policy,
and combining this real-world perspective with research findings, the
office would also produce a synthesis of what works in the assessment
of student performance ($250,000), and provide for the development of
a handbook for schools describing effective transmission of values,
knowledge, and beliefs in schools and communities ($80,000).
Plans
also include a series of three conferences to examine technology's
impact on teaching and learning processes, which would result in a
guidebook on technology use in schools ($100,000) and completion of the
documentation, evaluation, and synthesis of the 29 teacher education
development and demonstration projects ($16,000).
The 1989 request for Information Services is $8,308,000, an increase of $2.1 million over the 1988 level.
Of the total requested, $6.7 million would go to the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) system. This 20-year-old education information service underwent a major review and redesign effort,
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