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Field staff

To carry out the new and expanded programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the National Vocational Student Loan Insurance Act. the Bureau field staff will require a total of 107 new positions.

With the increased number of Bureau programs now requiring administration at the regional level and the further functional decentralization of continuing, new and expanded programs, it is no longer practical to staff regional offices with independently operating program representatives reporting directly to the central headquarters. The principles of good management dictate that Bureau of Higher Education programs should be coordinated in each region so as to conserve staff resources; for example, unnecessary visits to the same institution by the separate representatives of two or more Bureau of Higher Education programs. In order to move toward accomplishing this goal, the Bureau has already designated an acting officer in charge in each of the nine HEW regions. Funds are requested in fiscal year 1967 to transfer this function in each of the three largest regions (New York, Chicago, and San Francisco) to a GS-15 coordinator of higher education programs. The coordinator will be the focal point of contact with the Bureau of Higher Education field services staff in Washington; he will be responsible for regional staff assignments, and he will represent the Bureau at educational conferences within the regional area. Experience may eventually prove it desirable to extend this concept to two or more HEW regions.

The planned decentralization of program functions will increase the workload and activity in the regional offices as the program representatives assume responsibility for (a) receipt of application; (b) preliminary allocation of program funds; (c) analysis and summarization of institutional reports; (d) surveillance of programs through institutional site visits; (e) recommendations for policy and procedural changes for program improvement; (f) disbursement of funds; (g) audit reports and compliance; (h) public information on higher educational programs; and (i) program evaluation for effectiveness within the region.

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JUSTIFICATION OF ESTIMATE

The Bureau of Research seeks to improve education through the conduct of a variety of research and research-related activities, the provision of consultative services, and the collection and dissemination of information about the status and progress of education.

Purpose and scope of activity

During fiscal year 1965 new legislation greatly increased the workload of this Bureau, Title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 amends the Cooperative Research Act of 1954 to greatly expand the kind of activities which can be supported. The amended act permits the Commissioner to make grants not only to universities and State educational agencies, but also to nonprofit public and private organizations engaged in research. Previously, contracts and other jointly financial cooperative arrangements were authorized only with State educational agencies and colleges and universities.

The act now permits support of activities to disseminate the results of educational research and establishes a new program for training purposes in educational research. It also authorizes the construction and operation of educational laboratories which would be broader in scope than the research and development centers currently being supported.

The captioned films for the deaf program was amended to promote the general welfare of deaf persons by providing through films, enriched educational and cultural experiences through which deaf persons can be brought into better touch with the realities of their environment. The program promotes the educational advancement of deaf persons by carrying on research in the use of educational media for the deaf and for parents of deaf children and other persons who are directly involved in work for the advancement of the deaf or who are actual or potential employers of the deaf. It further provides for the training of persons in the use of educational media for the instruction of the deaf.

The research and demonstrations program under educational improvements for the handicapped was amended to broaden the support of the conduct of research and demonstration projects and the dissemination of information in all areas of the education of handicapped children and youth. The Commissioner of Education is authorized to "make grants to institutions of higher education for the construction, equipping, and operation of a facility for research, or for research and related purposes."

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Colleges and universities are increasingly depending upon research and development activities to improve their programs and practices and to achieve the goal of post-high-school education for more Americans. The focus of higher education supported research will be on the promotion of education growth and innovation within our universities and colleges. Research will be directed toward such areas as (1) improved effectiveness of college and university facilities in teaching and (2) improved use of institutional research and development in improving that institution.

Research in developing and supporting educational research directed at the elementary and secondary school population will focus continued attention on such problems as (1) learning and the process of instruction; (2) curriculum and program revision and development, including applied instructional techniques; (3) educational administration; (4) educational change; (5) pupil personnel services; and (7) comparative education.

The Bureau of Research is responsible for planning, coordinating, and administering research and development in the fields of adult and vocational research. Research is particularly directed toward meeting the special vocational education needs of youths, especially youths in economically depressed communities who have academic, socioeconomic, or other handicaps that prevent them from succeeding in the regular vocational education programs.

Program and direction

Evidence of Need

The increased responsibilities accompanying the expansion of research programs will require additional staff to give more effective program development and coordination to the broadened captioned films and research and demonstrations programs. New staff is also needed for directing the expanding activities of the laboratories operations and constructions program and research and training program. Staff for management, public information, and program planning are required by these new responsibilities.

Captioned films for the deaf

The expanded program for captioning films for the deaf provides for the ac quisition and captioning of additional feature length films, classroom instruction films, short subjects and transparencies. Two additional film distribution centers will be established. Additional activities also include an expanded production program, inservice training institutes for teachers, orientation meetings for parents of deaf children, pilot seminars for employers of the deaf and special services to centers engaged in training teachers of the deaf and for research and development projects.

Research and demonstrations

A substantial increase in the research and demonstrations program for handicapped children requires the addition of professional staff. The aditional proposals will require the negotiation of research and demonstration grants, site visits to institutions, research stimulation activities, review of proposals submitted for preliminary review and management of evaluation panel meetings. The new activities, programmatic research, construction, planning of a comprehensive research facility, the regional demonstration program, and the curriculum materials development center will require staffing.

Laboratories research and development

Teams of specialists are needed to represent both the program content specialities, such as sociology, educational research, statistics, and psychology and program implementation specialties, such as administration, law, and political science in the laboratory program. As a result of the complexity of the program a very high proportion of prospectuses for laboratories will require extensive staff review. After the final approval and funding of a laboratory, staff will need to continue working closely with the laboratory to evaluate requests for expansion; provide liaison between the Office of Education and the laboratory; relate laboratory activities to other research programs; study, evaluate, and improve the laboratory system; locate potential problem areas and review monthly progress reports.

Vocational research

Research in employment opportunities is a relatively new venture for the Office of Education in both adult and vocational education. The assignment of adult education responsibilities in 1966, and the enlarging scope of the vocational research program requires a broadening of specialized staff competencies. Social and behavioral science research on human resources aspects of vocational and adult education is also a relatively new venture for the Office. Another area of concern in adult and vocational programs is the conduct and evaluation of experimental, developmental, and pilot programs in the fields of curriculum development, instructional methods, organization, administration, teacher training and facilities.

Research training and dissemination

During 1967 the research training program will stimulate, review, and monitor a wide range of training programs for educational researchers, including undergraduates, graduate and postdoctoral programs, institutes, special short-term training projects and program development projects. Additional activities to be pursued are: (1) Further development of ERIC, (2) development of additional media for disseminating information and focusing on newsletters, current awareness alerts, and other specialized releases, and (3) expansion of the dissemination research and evaluation programs.

With the expansion of activities, 40 additional positions are requested for effective operation of the Bureau. Thirty-six positions are required for program coordination and four positions are required for program direction.

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