A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

    FOR RELEASE                    Contact:  David Thomas   December 16, 1996                      (202) 401-1576

Education Research Agenda for the 21st Century

The U.S. Department of Education today issued a research agenda for obtaining new knowledge about how to improve teaching and learning in the nation's schools.

U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley hailed the plan as "a foundation for education in the 21st century."

The report, Building Knowledge for a Nation of Learners, is "the first attempt to develop a single comprehensive vision of the nation's future needs for knowledge about education, and to set clear priorities for educational research geared to meeting those needs."

"This plan is the result of extensive deliberations over several years and builds on prior research we've done," Riley said. "It suggests the directions we should take as we work to better prepare our students and teachers for the future. "

The congressionally mandated report was developed by the department's Office of Educational Research and Improvement and a 15 member National Educational Research Policy and Priorities Board, co chaired by Southern Illinois University president and former education under secretary Ted Sanders and Stanford University education professor Kenji Hakuta.

More than 500 parents, teachers, education researchers, and representatives of business and community organizations were consulted in preparing the agenda.

"We can't afford hit or miss approaches driven by fads and fallacies," the report says. "We need solid scientific evidence about what works, for whom, and under what conditions."

The National Priorities for Research in Education are:

Improving learning and development in early childhood so that all children can enter kindergarten prepared to learn and succeed in elementary and secondary schools;
Improving curriculum, instruction, assessment and student learning at all levels of education to promote high academic achievement, problem solving abilities, creativity, and the motivation for further learning;
Ensuring effective teaching by expanding the supply of potential teachers, improving teacher preparation, and promoting career long professional development at all levels of education;
Strengthening schools, particularly middle and high schools, as institutions capable of engaging young people as active and responsible learners;
Supporting schools to effectively prepare diverse populations to meet high standards for knowledge, skills, and productivity, and to participate fully in American economic, cultural, social, and civic life;
Promoting learning in informal and formal settings, and building connections that cause out of school experiences to contribute to in school achievement; and
Understanding the changing requirements for adult competence in civic, work, and social contexts and how these requirements affect learning and the futures of individuals in the nation.

The report also includes a chapter on Putting the Priorities to Work, which challenges Americans in all walks of life to get involved in the process of educational improvement and to take greater responsibility for results. State and local decision makers and educators can get more involved by accessing and using the research through a nationwide system of regional education laboratories, national research and development centers, and clearinghouses.

"Improving our schools is a topic on everyone's mind," Riley said. "This report can help to build a broader understanding of the importance of educational research. This plan reflects the department's commitment to strengthen all of America's educational institutions and benefit all of its learners."

"These priorities represent a critical link between scientific opportunity and educational need," said Sharon P. Robinson, assistant secretary for educational research and improvement.

In confirming the collaborative method of developing the plan, Hakuta added: "The board and department look forward to using the plan as an effective tool for improving education and as a guide for future education research funding, as we work with others to develop the priorities further."

Copies of Building Knowledge for a Nation of Learners are available from the National Library of Education (800-424-1616) and on the world wide web at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/RschPriority/plan/.

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