Archived Information

On December 16, 1996, Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley and Sharon P. Robinson, the Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement, released a research agenda for obtaining new knowledge about how to improve teaching and learning in the nation’s schools. Secretary Riley described the report as "a foundation for education in the 21st century."

The report, Building Knowledge for a Nation of Learners, builds on the prior research achievements of the agency and sets out clear priorities for educational research geared to meet the nation’s future needs. The seven 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 Regional Educational Laboratories]