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The Funding Bridge 

NLIIJune 28, 2004

Barbara M. Olds, Division Director Division of Research, Evaluation and Communication

Education and Human Resources Directorate

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n Outline

NSF’s Directorate for Education and Human Resources:

• Who we are• What we fund• What we are thinking and doing about

research <=> practice• Your suggestions

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nOrganization of NSF

National Science Foundation

D ire c to ra te fo r B io lo g ica l S c ie n ces D ire cto ra te fo r C o m pu te r a n d In fo rm atio n S c ien ce a n d E ng in ee ring

D ivisio n of R esearch , E va lu a tio n , an d Co m m u n ica tion O th er E HR

D irec to ra te fo r Ed u ca tion and Hu m an R eso urces D ire c to ra te fo r G e o sc ie n c es

D ire c to ra te fo r M a th e m atic a l & P h ysica l S cie n ces D ire cto ra te fo r E n g ine e ring

D ivis ion o f B eh avio ra l an d Co g n itive S cien ces D ivis ion o f So c ia l an d Eco n o m ic S cien ces

D irecto ra te fo r S o cia l, Beh avio ra l an d E co no m ic S c ien ces

O th er A d m in is tra tive

D ire c to r

N a tion a l S c ie nce B o a rd

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n Directorate for Education and Human Resources1. Prepare the next generation of science, technology,

engineering, and math (STEM) professionals and attract more Americans to STEM careers.

2. Increase the technological and scientific literacy of all Americans so that they can exercise responsible citizenship and acquire STEM knowledge that is appropriate for life-long career opportunities.

3. Broaden participation (diversity) and close the achievement gap in STEM.

4. Attend to critical workforce needs requiring significant math and science skills and knowledge.

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Divisions in EHR

Division of Research, Evaluation and Communication (REC)

Division of Elementary, Secondary and Informal Education (ESIE)

Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) Division of Graduate Education (DGE) Division of Human Resource Development

(HRD)

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n Research on Learning and Education (ROLE) program

The Biological Basis of Learning

Behavioral, cognitive, affective and social aspects of human learning

I II

STEM learning in educational settings

Changing education systems to improve STEM learning

III IV

(general) time horizon to use; micro/macro scales

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n Research on Graduate Education

The Division of Graduate Education and REC have issued a Dear Colleague Letter to jointly encourage proposals for well-designed, timely research projects focused on graduate programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The objective of this initiative is to help establish a solid research base that can act as a guide for future changes in STEM graduate education.

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n Evaluative Research and Evaluation Capacity (EREC) program

Evaluative Research StudiesThe STEM Instructional Workforce Continuum

Technology in Support of Learning and Education

Evaluation Capacity BuildingAdvancing the State-of-the-Art in Evaluation

Enhancing Capability and Infrastructure

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n Interagency Education Research Initiative (IERI)

Joint initiative of U.S. Department of Education (IES), NIH (NICHD), and NSF

Separate competitions in 2004-2005 Funding for two types of scaling of math or science

interventions with emphasis on middle and high school Contextual studies (up to $2,000,000 for up to 5

years) Scaling studies (up to $6,000,000 for up to 5 years)

Must have partnerships, employ technology, build on solid evidence

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nCAREER The Faculty Early Career Development Program Foundation-wide activity for new faculty members. CAREER awardees selected on the basis of

creative career-development plans that effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their institution.

Plans should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of integrated contributions to research and education.

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n Re-examining Education Research across EHR

Context: New division directors “Research mindset” and cycle of innovation from J.

Ramaley Increased interest across the Directorate, the

Foundation, and from the field Responses:

REC workshop series Math portfolio review “Scientific Research” Lectures, Seminars, Internal

Resource Group Feedback from PI meetings, workshops, etc.

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Design, implement, and document interventions

Design and develop tools, materials and

methods

Develop and test theory and knowledge about teaching

and learning

Research on problems of learning, teaching, implementation, and policy

Synthesize and interpret results and identify new insights and questions

Cycle of Discovery, Innovation and Application[1]

[1] Adapted from RAND Mathematics Study Panel (Mathematical Proficiency for All Students: Toward a Strategic Research and Development Program in Mathematics Education (p. 6) OERI, US Department of Education), 2003.

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n Scientific Research in Education*

Pose significant questions that can be investigated empirically

Link research to relevant theory Use methods that permit direct investigation of the

question Provide a coherent and explicit chain of reasoning Replicate and generalize across studies Disclose research to encourage professional scrutiny and

critique* (NRC 2002, Shavelson et al)

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REC Workshops* 1. What are the recent trends or directions (whether these be

domain or topic specific or methodological in nature) in the STEM education field (as you define or understand it) and where do you think the field is headed in the next ~5 years?

2. In what areas (domains, topics, methods) is the most creative STEM education research/evaluation/ communication being done in your opinion, and where do you see opportunities for creativity that are being missed?

*Facilitated by Eamonn Kelly, GMU

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REC Workshops 3. What are three or four questions of national importance

in educational research/evaluation/ communication where there has been little progress and three or four questions where we seem to have a reasonable accumulation of knowledge? How do we, as a field, effectively capitalize on both strengths and weaknesses?

What are the major obstacles or threats to progress and the accumulation of knowledge in the field? Why do you think these are impediments and what, if anything, do you think can be done about them?

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Common Issues (7 C’s)

Capacity building (people and tools) “Cumulativity” Collaboration Context Conditional (beta) studies Communication (“Big C”) Cyberinifrastructure

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Mathematics Portfolio Review

What is EHR’s investment in mathematics education?

What has been the impact of EHR’s investment in mathematics education?

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n Highlights Related to Research

Several current programs have a research emphasis: REC, CLT, Large-scale Reform, Instructional Materials, Teacher Professional Continuum, and MSP RETA

No current clusters have a focus on synthesizing and interpreting results as a means of identifying new questions and/or developing new insights

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n Highlights Related to Research, continued

Proposers generally build on their own previous research, and/or their own practice and experience, but projects generally do not build well on relevant research knowledge bases beyond those of the PIs

Outside of REC, panelists identified weakness of research design as a problem; within REC, key issues were insufficient connections with the content and low expectation that the research should influence practice

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nHighlights Related to Research, continued Tools and experiences built within individual

projects do not accumulate, and the portfolio isn’t designed in a way that facilitates that accumulation

Multidisciplinary expertise is needed within individual projects to address the complex problems of educational improvement

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Professional Development in EHR Goal = developing a “research mindset” The emphasis on research differs from program

to program in EHR: some focus on producing new knowledge, some on building on it.

Overall, EHR should have a coherent research portfolio that covers the “cycle”

In order to achieve coherence, we need common understanding, shared vocabulary across the Directorate

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n The Lecture Series on Scientific Research in Education Should questions or methods drive the enterprise?

(Shavelson) How can we identify 'what's happening' in a given

intervention? (Eisenhart) How can we identify if there's a "systematic effect"

in a given intervention? (Reichardt) What are the causal mechanisms that can be

identified in a given intervention and how do they work? (Raudenbusch)

Research, Program Evaluation, Assessment, and Accountability (Shepard)

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The Seminar Series*

Four sessionsOverview and issuesThe “research mindset” through projectsThe “research mindset” through solicitationsNext steps

*Facilitated by Alan Schoenfeld, UC-Berkeley

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n The Internal Resource Group (IRG)

Composed of people from every division in EHR

The “think tank” for the process Developers of products and proposers of next

steps

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Next Steps

Education Research will:Inform the design of EHR programs Inform the development and implementation

of projects funded through the programsHelp create a coherent and comprehensive

portfolio

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Your thoughts?Advice to NSF?