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

REAUTHORIZATION & REINVENTION OF OERI

The Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) has undertaken a dramatic effort to solicit ideas, comments, and recommendations from practitioners, policymakers, parents, students, employers, and others regarding the significant reshaping of its program policies and priorities.

OERI Assistant Secretary Sharon P. Robinson launched the nationwide outreach effort with a series of five public meetings held at locations around the country. Through this series of conversations with educators, students, and parents, she began the process of finding out how OERI's constituents think the office might best carry out its mission and improve the responsiveness of its products and services (see "From the Assistant Secretary,").

These gatherings were followed by a July 7, 1994, Federal Register announcement soliciting written public comments on OERI's reauthorizing statute. Specifically, concerned individuals are being urged to address such substantive issues as:

What education topics require long-term, sustained, systematic, and integrated research and development;
What disciplines and areas of inquiry exist where the state of knowledge is so insufficient as to warrant further investigation;
What topic areas exist where sufficient progress has been made to support research into practice;
What kinds of dissemination strategies will help meet the needs of a range of different customers education researchers, practitioners, policymakers, parents, students, and employers; and
What types of technical assistance activities will help ensure that the knowledge gained from research will help improve teaching and learning.

The Assistant Secretary will use the comments as she collaborates with the National Educational Research Policy and Priorities Board to map the future of OERI. Together, they will establish program policies and priorities for activities authorized by Title IX for the five new National Research Institutes, the Office of Reform Assistance and Dissemination, and the National Library of Education. In addition, the comments will help in planning for the reorganization of OERI and the initiatives contemplated by the new legislation.

So that those wishing to comment can be thoroughly informed on all aspects of Title IX, OERI will provide a copy of the legislation upon request. Also available are a series of topic papers focusing on each of the major organizational entities created by the new legislation and on the issues of professional development and technology in education. The topic papers share information to generate discussion and recommendations.

The Federal Register notice, the Educational Research, Development, Dissemination, and Improvement Act of 1994, and the topic papers are available online. They can also be obtained by contacting Laurence Peters, U.S. Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20208-5530, or by fax at 202-219-1466. Comments must be received no later than September 6, 1994, and may be sent to the above address or by e-mail to reauth_comments@inet.ed.gov. Questions concerning the Federal Register notice, topic papers, and the authorizing legislation should be sent to reauth_questions@inet.ed.gov.

Table of Contents The New OERI--In Brief