SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Section 131(b)(1) of ESRA (20 U.S.C. 9531(b)(1)) describes the mission of NCER, a center within the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences. NCER is directed to sponsor sustained research that will lead to the accumulation of knowledge and understanding of education to—

(A) Ensure that all children have access to a high-quality education;

(B) Improve student academic achievement, including through the use of educational technology;

(C) Close the achievement gap between high-performing and low-performing students through the improvement of teaching and learning of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and other academic subjects; and

(D) Improve access to, and opportunity for, postsecondary education.

As part of our mission to support sustained research, ESRA, sec. 133(c)(1) (20 U.S.C. 9533(c)(1)), directs NCER to support not less than 8 R&D Centers and to assign each center to at least 1 of the 11 topics described in ESRA sec. 133(c)(2). The 11 topics are:

(A) Adult literacy.

(B) Assessment, standards, and accountability research.

(C) Early childhood development and education.

(D) English language learners research.

(E) Improving low achieving schools.

(F) Innovation in education reform.

(G) State and local policy.

(H) Postsecondary education and training.

(I) Rural education.

(J) Teacher quality.

(K) Reading and literacy.

The duties of R&D Centers are to address areas of national need, and to incorporate the potential or existing role of educational technology, where appropriate, in achieving the goals of each center (ESRA, Sec. 133(c)(3)). In addition, ESRA Sec. 133(3)(7) specifies that research conducted by the R&D ( printed page 7085) Centers is to be disaggregated by age, race, gender, and socioeconomic background to the extent feasible. ESRA Sec. 133(c)(4) specifies that support for a national research and development center shall be for a period of not more than 5 years.

Currently, NCER is supporting R&D Centers and Research Networks that focus on the topics of adult literacy, English language learners research, innovation in education reform, State and local policy, postsecondary education and training, rural education, teacher quality, and reading and literacy. NCER can support additional R&D Centers addressing different research questions within these same topics as well as R&D Centers addressing other topics from the list of 11, above. Information about NCER's active and completed R&D Centers is available here: https://ies.ed.gov/​ncer/​research/​randdCenters.asp.

Through this RFI, we seek public comment and input on the highest priority research questions within each of the 11 topics that could be addressed by new R&D Centers, as outlined in the Solicitation of Comments section.

This is a request for information only. This RFI is not a request for proposals (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP or a notice inviting applications (NIA). This RFI does not commit the Department to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, we are not seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals for R&D Centers. The Department will not pay for any information or administrative costs that you may incur in responding to this RFI. The documents and information submitted in response to this RFI will not be returned.

We will review every comment, and the comments in response to this RFI will be publicly available on the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov. Please note that IES will not directly respond to comments.

Solicitation of Comments

We encourage the public, particularly those who are aware of key research questions in any of the 11 topic areas, to address the following questions in their comments:

(1) Of the 11 topics, which three are the most pressing to invest in now, and why?

(2) Within the three topics identified in response to item (1), on what priority research questions could a new R&D Center focus over a 5-year project period?

(3) How would your proposed research questions advance the core mission of NCER's program of research, described in the background section of this document?

(4) Are the identified priority research questions likely to yield any products or insights that could be readily shared and taken up by practitioners and policymakers?

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