January 15
January 16, 1998
Location
Room 100
80 F St., NW
Washington, DC 20208-7564
Members Present
James E. Bottoms
Jomills Braddock
John Bruer
Ann Clark
Edmund Gordon
Kenji Hakuta
Glenda Lappan
Robert Marley
Joyce Muhlestein
Alba Ortiz
Claire Pelton
Members Absent
Patricia Ann Baltz
Sharon Lynn Kagan
Ex Officio Members Present
Ricky T. Takai, OERI
James Herbert, National Endowment for the Humanities
Designated Federal Official
Thelma Leenhouts
Board Staff Present
Eve M. Bither
Mary Grace Lucier
OERI Staff Present
Margo Anderson
Sharon Bobbitt
Ron Cartwright
Joseph Conaty
Cheryl Garnett
Cheryl Bailey Garner
Linda Jones
Sue Klein
Robert Stonehill
Members of the Public Present
Jacqueline Berger
Mike Kane
William Morrill
Emerson Elliott
Kay McKinney
Chairman Kenji Hakuta called the meeting to order at 9 am. The Designated Federal Official (DFO) Thelma Leenhouts called the roll and established the presence of a quorum. The chair expressed thanks for the letters members had received from the students in Patricia Ann Baltz's classroom, and suggested the possibility of a letter to students on the Board's web site.
Research, Development, and Dissemination Committee
Chairman John Bruer introduced the division directors of the Office of Reform Assistance and Dissemination (ORAD) to make presentations to inform the Board about their ongoing work. Ron Cartwright made a brief statement on behalf of ORAD director, Peirce Hammond. Sharon Bobbitt spoke on the Knowledge Applications Division; Robert Stonehill, the State and Local Support Division; Linda Jones, the Development and Demonstration Programs Division; and Cheryl Garnette, the Learning Technologies Division.
Representatives of AIR/Mathtech reported to the Board on the first of a series of four papers commissioned by the Board in advance of the next reauthorization of OERI. The authors of the first paper, "The Educational Research, Development and Dissemination System: An Analytic Mapping," William A. Morrill and Jacqueline Berger of Mathtech, Inc., accompanied by Mike Kane of American Institutes for Research, presented their findings in a discussion led by Emerson Elliott, during which members made comments and suggestions for the subsequent drafts and papers.
Report of the Executive Director
Eve M. Bither, executive director, gave a report on the budget for the first quarter of FY 98 (see attachment); proposed an outline for a brochure describing the standards for the conduct and evaluation of research, development, and dissemination activities carried out by OERI (the brochure will be submitted to the Standards Committee); and described activities undertaken by the Board staff since the last Board meeting.
Board Business
Mr. Marley moved the approval of the minutes of the last (September 97) meeting; Ms. Pelton seconded the motion. The chair called for a vote, which was unanimous in favor. Ms. Muhlestein moved that the Board approve a policy for co-sponsorship of conferences and meetings (see attachment). The vote was unanimous in favor.
Acting Assistant Secretary Takai then offered remarks on the FY 98 budget for OERI; on a prospective meeting with the directors of the research and development centers to discuss guidance for interim and final reviews; and on his request for a series of papers to be written by leading researchers on the return on OERI's investment in the centers over the last 20 years, as well as a short description of every study the Institutes have funded.
Chairman Hakuta indicated that Dr. Gordon would take the lead in identifying a number of scholars to participate in panel discussions at a conference on March 6 to help the Board determine issues to be addressed in the formulation of the Research Priorities Plan.
Ms. Bither called the attention of the Board to an invitation to participate as a cosponsor in a professional development research conference organized by the National Partnership for Excellence and Accountability in Teaching. Members discussed the terms of the invitation and the advisability of the Board's participating as well as earmarking the Board's contribution to support the participation of teachers.
Dr. Ortiz moved that the Board refer the issue of its participation to the Executive Committee. Ms. Pelton seconded the motion, which passed without objection.
The meeting adjourned at 2:08 pm.