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

Location
Room 100
80 F St., NW
Washington, DC 20208-7564

Members Present
Patricia Ann Baltz
James E. Bottoms
Jomills H. Braddock II
Ann B. Clark
Kenji Hakuta
Sharon Lynn Kagan
Robert W. Marley
Joyce Muhlestein
Claire L. Pelton

Members Absent
John Bruer
Alba A. Ortiz
Glenda T. Lappan
Edmund W. Gordon
John T. Sanders

Ex Officio Members Present
Douglas Herbert (delegate), National Endowment for the Arts
James Herbert (delegate), National Endowment for the Humanities
Margaret Cozzens (delegate), National Science Foundation
Joann S. Morris, Office of Indian Education Programs
Ricky T. Takai, Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Stephen A. Wandner, Department of Labor
Keith Thompson (delegate), Department of Defense

Designated Federal Official
Thelma Leenhouts

Board Staff Present
Eve M. Bither
Mary Grace Lucier

OERI Staff Present
Margo Anderson
Sue Betka
Sharon Bobbitt
Joseph Conaty
Alicia Coro
Mitchell Dedert
Pat Forgione
Ed Fuentes
Pierce Hammond
Harold Himmelfarb
Carol Inman
Naomi Karp
Oliver Moles
Eugene Owen
Martin Orland
Lois Peake
Ron Pedone
Bob Stonehill
Keith Stubbs
Bob Thomas

Department of Education Staff Present
Jackie Frederick, OVAE

Members of the Public Present
Diane August
Emerson Elliot
Jerry Sroufe, AERA
Martin A. Apple, Council of Scientific Society Presidents

Chairman Kenji Hakuta called the meeting to order at 8:47 a.m. Thelma Leenhouts, Designated Federal Official, called the roll and the presence of a quorum was established. The chairman recognized and welcomed the newly-appointed director of the Office of Reform Assistance and Dissemination, Peirce Hammond, and initiated the report of the chair by calling the attention of the meeting to a number of letters sent out by the executive director on behalf of the Board. The first letter was a response and commentary on budget matters addressed to the (then) Acting Assistant Secretary for OERI, and the second was a letter to the President on the subject of the administration's initiative on voluntary national testing.

Report of Commissioner of Educational Statistics
The chair then introduced Commissioner of Educational Statistics Pat Forgione, who outlined the mission, budget, and ongoing studies of the National Center for Education Statistics, invited the Board's commentary and response to that work, as well as their suggestions for improving and expanding on it. He discussed the scope and findings of the Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS). He showed to the group a sample TIMSS Tool Kit, consisting of print and video materials derived from the study, which will shortly be available for distribution and for purchase. After a period of Q&A, the chair announced a 15-minute break.

The meeting reconvened at 11 a.m.

Report of the Program Committee
The chair recognized Ann Clark, chair of the Program Committee for a discussion of the Board's 1998 statement of the nation's research priorities. She presented the recommendations of the committee for Board comment and review. After deliberations by the Board, Ms. Clark presented the following motions:

1.That the Board adopt as criteria for the development of the next Research Priorities Plan within the broad goals of equity and excellence: sharpness of focus; urgency, present and future anticipation; knowledge need. [Motion seconded by Dr. Bottoms, adopted by unanimous voice vote].

2. That the Board adopt as its highest priority the goal of closing the achievement gap for the nation's students. Within this priority, three areas of research are recommended:

• Understanding the relationships between (a) students' functional characteristics, social conditions of learning, and social divisions (ethnicity, gender, language, social class) and (b) students' academic and personal development in the search for explanation and correction of the differences in academic achievement between these groups.
• Clarify and strengthen the knowledge base and professional competence of the nation's educators, school and community leadership, and families, including a better alignment between the task demands of teaching and the changing conceptions of the nature of knowing.
• Support the development of improved knowledge and technology for educational assessment which informs pedagogical practice, policy, and theory in order to provide an accurate interpretation of educational achievement and better designed educational interventions.[Motion was proposed by Ms. Clark, seconded by Dr. Bottoms, and passed by voice vote].

3. That the Board direct its executive director to engage research and editorial consultants with experience in public policy document development and public engagement to assist the Board in the development of the 1998-99 priorities statement. [Motion seconded by Dr. Bottoms, passed by voice vote].

4. That the Board urge the Secretary of Education to establish, within the Department, a coordinating committee on research on English-language learners. [Motion seconded by Ms. Baltz, passed by voice vote, Chairman Hakuta abstaining].

Report of the Chair, Continued
Chairman Hakuta then concluded the report of the chair by noting the resignation of Board member Rudolph Crew. He noted also that several Board members' terms would expire in March 1998 and indicated that it was up to the Secretary of Education to appoint and/or reappoint members. He noted for the record that the performance evaluation of the executive director had been completed over the summer. He then asked the members to submit names of individuals who might be invited to work with the Board under an IPA (Intergovernmental Personnel Act).

Peer Review Study
The chair introduced to the meeting Ms. Diane August, educational consultant, who is in charge of the Board's peer review study. This study will examine the new OERI standards for peer review and how well they functioned in recent competitions for cooperative agreements (for research and development centers) and grants (for field-initiated studies). She announced the selection of an expert panel consisting of the following members: Penny Peterson, Northwestern University; Carl Kaestle, Brown University; Chris Cross, Council for Basic Education; Judy Sunley, National Science Foundation; and one still to be named. The panel's first meeting to review the plan of work and the protocols for the study would be on October 20 in the Board room at 80 F St., NW. Subsequent meetings would be scheduled in March to review the draft recommendation and in May to review the final report. The final report would be ready in June. Ms. August welcomed suggestions from the Board on the plan and process of the study.

Report of the Executive Director
Ms. Bither presented the Fourth Quarter Budget Report (see attachment), announced the appointment of a new travel management contractor by the Department of Education, and urged members to submit outstanding travel vouchers. She displayed the Board's home page (http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/NERPPB), and distributed the first edition of its newsletter.

The chair entertained a motion for the approval of the minutes of the previous (June 6, 1997) meeting. Mr. Marley made the motion, and Ms. Muhlestein seconded it. The chair called for a vote, which was unanimous in favor, and the minutes were approved.

Standards
In the absence of Dr. Glenda Lappan, chair of the Committee on Standards, Ms. Bither directed the attention of the Board to the final version of the Phase II Standards: Standards for Selecting Exemplary and Promising Programs. The Board had discussed these standards with Dr. Sharon Bobbitt, director of OERI's Knowledge Applications Division, at its June 6 meeting. Mr. Marley moved that the Phase II Standards be approved. Ms. Muhlestein seconded the motion. Ms. Bither then called for a vote, which was unanimous in favor.

Dr. Bobbitt continued with a presentation on Phase III Standards: Evaluation of the Performance of Recipients of Grants, Cooperative Agreements, and Contracts prior to their publication for public comment. Dr. Braddock recused himself from participation in this discussion. Dr. Bobbitt indicated that the standards applied across the board from a $10,000 purchase order to a $5 million Broad Agency Agreements. For total awards exceeding $5 million, there would be both an interim and a final assessment.

Dr. Bobbitt revisited with the Board the question of whether Department of Education personnel should serve as peer reviewers. A restriction in the present version precludes ED personnel from serving as peer reviewers for any award that exceeds $1million in one year. Dr. Conaty argued that excluding staff participation would reflect adversely on their professional standing. Dr. Takai agreed. Ms. Betka suggested inviting public comment on this issue. The chair asked for and received perspectives from the representatives of the Departments of Labor, Defense, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the National Science Foundation.

Chairman Hakuta asked for a motion to refer the issue to the Executive Committee to act on behalf of the Board. Dr. Kagan so moved. Dr. Braddock seconded the motion. The chair called for a vote, which was unanimous in favor.

Report on the ERIC Clearinghouse Re-Competition
Mr. Keith Stubbs, Division Director for Resource Sharing and Cooperation, National Library of Education, indicated that 16 ERIC clearinghouses have concurrent five-year contracts which expire at the end of June 1998. The current schedule for the recompetition calls for a draft statement of work to be completed by the end of November. In January it will be posted on the Internet for 45 days for comment. Requests for proposals will be published in May. Awards would be made in November. Board comments would be welcomed during the official comment period (Jan-Feb 1998). Dr. Braddock requested that additional time at the next Board meeting January 1998) be devoted to the ERIC recompetition.

Mr. Stubbs further elaborated on the new technological developments that have created new expectations and opportunities for the ERIC system and increased demands on its resources.

Chairman Hakuta adjourned the meeting at 3:20 p.m.

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January 15