Title: The National Special Education Research Agenda: Inside the Matrix
1The National Special Education Research Agenda
Inside the Matrix
2The National Center for Special Education
Research (NCSER) in the Institute of Education
Sciences (IES) ButWhat exactly is the
Institute of Education Sciences? (And, what
happened to OSERS and OSEP?)
3IDEA Reauthorization in 2004
- Amended the The Education Sciences Reform Act of
2002 to establish the National Center for Special
Education Research in the Institute of Education
Sciences (IES) - Transferred responsibility for special education
research and Studies and Evaluations (except
for the Annual Report) from the Office of Special
Education Programs to NCSER.
4The Charge Legislative Branch
- Research, statistical, and evaluation
activities supported by the Institute shall
apply rigorous, systematic, and objective
methodology to obtain reliable and valid
knowledge and present findings and make claims
that are appropriate to and supported by the
methods that have been employed. (ESRA, 2002)
5IES Goals
- develop or identify programs, practices,
policies, and approaches that enhance academic
achievement and that can be widely deployed - identify what does not work and what is
problematic, and thereby encourage innovation and
further research - gain fundamental understanding of the processes
that underlie variations in the effectiveness of
education programs - develop delivery systems for the results of
education research that will be routinely used by
practitioners and the public when making
education decisions
6Organizational Structure
Office of the Director Grover J. Whitehurst,
Director
National Board for Education Sciences Robert C.
Granger, Chair Sonia Chessen, Executive Director
Office of Science Andrew White, Deputy
Director for Science
Office of Administration and Policy Sue
Betka, Deputy Director for Administration and
Policy
Office of Communication and Outreach Mike
Bowler, Director of Communications and Outreach
Office of Information Technology Gerald
Malitz, Chief Information Technology Officer
7 Organizational Structure
Office of the Director Grover J. Whitehurst,
Director
National Board for Education Sciences Robert C.
Granger, Chair Sonia Chessen, Executive Director
National Center for Education Evaluation and
Regional Assistance Phoebe Cottingham, Commissione
r
National Center for Education Research Lynn
Okagaki, Commissioner
National Center for Education Statistics Mark
Schneider, Commissioner
National Center for Special Education
Research Edward J. Kameenui, Commissioner
8The National Center for Special Education
Research (NCSER) in The Institute of Education
Sciences (IES)In Appreciation of Hartleys
First Law
9Hartleys First Law
- You can lead a horse to water,
- but if you can get him to float on his back,
youve got something. - Bloch, A. (1982). Murphys law and other reasons
why things go wrong. LA Price/Stern/Sloan
Publishers, Inc.
10Five Organizing Principles
- for
- National Center for Special Education Research in
the - Institute of Education Sciences
11NCSER Organizing Principles
- 1. The science must come first--
12Ode to Feynman
This phenomenon of having a memory for the race,
of having an accumulated knowledge passable from
one generation to another, was new in the world.
But it had a disease in it. It was possible to
pass on mistaken ideas. It was possible to pass
on ideas which were not profitable for the race
Then a way of avoiding the disease was
discovered And that is what science is the
result of the discovery that it is worthwhile
rechecking by new direct experience, and not
necessarily trusting the race experience from the
past (p. 185).
Richard P. Feynman (1999). The pleasure of
finding things out. Cambridge, MA Perseus
Publishing.
13Weve done wellnow theres an opportunity to
really be amazing--to be amazing as a business,
to be amazing in the positive impact that we have
on society. But we have to do some things a
little bit differently to be as amazing as we
hope we can be. Steve Ballmer, CEO,
MicrosoftBusiness Week, June 17, 2002
(http//www.business week.com/magazine/content/02_
24/b3787001.htm)
Invoking the Ballmer Standard
14NCSER Organizing Principles
- 1. The science must come first--and it must be
the best, perhaps even amazing.
15Methodological Statistical Issues
- Traditional issues Highly nested nature of
student performance in complex systems that
provoke complex interactions among range of
variables (familial, social, pedagogical,
curricular, organizational) compounded by
heterogeneity of student characteristics/performan
ce comorbidity. - Quantitative synthesis (meta-analysis) of
single-case research to identify effective
educational interventions - Statistical power for random assignment
evaluations of programs and interventions etc.
16Evidence-based Education
- Using the best available empirical evidence in
making decisions about education
-- Particularly for students with disabilities
17IES NCSER Practice (TA D)
- Simple Formula
- 1. R - TA D Irrelevant
- 2. TA D - R Irresponsible
- 3. R TA D Relevant Responsible
- What Does This Mean?
- Levels of evidence process mechanisms
18Levels of Evidence on What Works
- Meta-analyses of high quality evidence
- Experiments and well designed quasi-experiments
using WWC standards (including small n designs) - Statistical modeling of correlational and
longitudinal data - Best practice studies with matching and
contrastive analysis - Expert opinion supported by conceptual models and
generalizations from high quality research on
related topics - Simple correlational studies, case studies,
pre-post studies, and best practice studies w/o
matching
19What Can CEC Do?
- Establish a Scientific Advisory Council to
anchor the primacy of science in CEC - Advocate insist upon rigorous scientific
standards in special education research TA D
(and within organization) - Adopt levels of evidence to adjudicate/promote
research-to-practice translation - Launch a public awareness campaign to inform
parents about importance of science
20Presidents FY 2006 Education Final
Appropriations (in millions of dollars)
- Title I Grants to LEAs 12,713 million (largest
portion of NCLB programs) - Reading First/Early Reading First 1,132
million - Research in special education and studies and
evaluation 82 million (0.11 of total ED
monies) - Total Education Appropriation 71,545 million
- Reference http//www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget
/budget06/06action.pdf
21Comparison of FY2006 Appropriations with other
Federal agencies (millions of dollars)
- Comparison Agency
- Defense Budget Authority 419,341
- Homeland Security Authority 34,152
- Secret Service Agency 1,200
- Environmental Protection Agency 7,571
- Total Federal Budget 2,568 (in billions of
dollars)
- Comparative for NCSER (82 million)
- 0.02 monies authorized as compared to DOD
- 0.24 of monies authorized as compared to DHS
- 6.83 of monies authorized as compared to Secret
Service Agency - 1.08 of monies authorized as compared with the
EPA - 0.003 of total monies authorized
Reference http//www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy06/
browse.html
22Federal Research and Development Spending
(Proposed FY 2006)
- Total Across Federal Agencies 132,304 million
- Federal agencies include DOD, HHS, NASA, DOE,
NSF, USDA, DHS, DOC, DOT, DVA, DOI, EPA, and
Other - RD is characterized as basic research,
applied research, development, R D equipment or
RD facilities. - NCSER Appropriation 81.7 million (0.06 of RD
monies) - Reference http//www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy
2006/budget.html
23NCSER Organizing Principles
- 2. Because the special education problem space
is infinitely broad and complex, we must invest
wisely and strategically.
24To do so requires going inside the Special
Education Matrix
- What Special Education Matrix?
25Features of NCSER Research Matrix
- NCSER Statutory responsibilities 18
- Disability Statutory categories 12
- Total Research Matrix cells 18 x 12 216
26Matrix of Disability Category by NCSER Duties
27NCSER Evidence Map Just One of 216 Cells
28FY 2006 NCSER Research Programs
- Reading Writing Special Education Research
- Math Science Special Education Research
- Special Education Teacher Quality
Reading/Writing - Special Education Teacher Quality Math/Science
- Early Intervention and Assessment for Young
Children with Disabilities
29FY 2006 NCSER Programs (contd)
- Assessment for Accountability Special Education
Research - Individualized Education Programs Research
- Serious Behavior Disorders Special Education
Research - Secondary and Post-Secondary Outcomes Special
Education Research - Language and Vocabulary Development Special
Education Research
30FY 2007 Grant Competitions
- Early Intervention, Early Childhood Special
Education, and Assessment for Young Children with
Disabilities - Mathematics and Science
- Reading, Writing, and Language
- Serious Behavior Disorders
- Assessment for Accountability
31FY 2007 Grant Competitions
- Individualized Education Programs and
Individualized Family Service Plans - Secondary and Transition Services
- Quality of Teacher and Other Service Providers
for Students with Disabilities - Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Response to Intervention
32Research Grant Program Goals
- Goals differ by topic area, and include
- Goal 1 Identifying promising practices.
- Goal 2 Developing and testing new approaches.
- Goal 3 Conducting efficacy and replication
trials. - Goal 4 Conducting large scale evaluations.
- Goal 5 Developing and validating assessments.
33NCSER Organizing Principles
- 3. Research in special education is at the
heart of the National Center for Special
Education Research (NCSER) in IES.
34Public Law 108-446December 3, 2004 118 STAT.
2647 - 108th Congress
- USC 1401 Sec. 602. DEFINITIONS
-
- (29) SPECIAL EDUCATION.The term special
education means specially designed instruction,
at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs
of a child with a disability, including - (A) instruction conducted in the classroom, in
the home, in hospitals and institutions, and in
other settings and - (b) instruction in physical education.
35Specially Designed Instruction
- NOT
- special institutions
- teaching strategies
- curricular programs
- special support
- special learning
- general programs
- Design Architecture of information
- Individualized Education Program (IEP)
- AND Related Services
- Families
36NCSER Organizing Principles
- 4. Building the research capacity of the field is
not a Lone Ranger endeavor Collaboration and
consultation are essential.
37The Charge Customers
- Make research more practical
- Fill gaps in knowledge
- Provide digested and vetted findings
- Consider products for end users
- Consider expanding current IES research grammar
and goal structure
38Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services (OSERS)
- John Hager, Assistant Secretary
Dr. Troy Justesen, Deputy Assistant Secretary Dr.
Alexa E. Posny, Director, Office of Special
Education Programs (OSEP) Dr. Lou Danielson,
Director of Research to Practice Division
39Ode to Borens First Law
- 5. Good science is good business for everyone
but good science is not enough. Results must
lead to the engineering of high quality
performance and delivery systems.
40Why the Global Economy Is Here To Stay Jeffrey
E. Garten, Dean, Yale School of
Management (Business Week, March 23, 1998, p.
21) Delivering some 2.8 million packages in 210
countries each day, FedEx is pushing
globalization faster and deeperbecause it is
using information technology to reengineer its
clients worldwide supply and distribution
systemsFedEx canelectronically track where any
shipment is at any given moment, and it can
guarantee on-time delivery.
41Cream of the Crop, Alison Peacock. Horizon
Air, April, 1998, p. 12-17. A computerized
system keeps track of how much milk each cow
gives each time. Obrist can look up any cow on
his computer and track her milking yields for
weeks at a time, noting at a glance when she is
at peak production or if her health is ailing
(p. 13).
42Engineering Systems
- IT Systems (including digital technology) that
permit, for example - the large scale, real time management of a range
of student performance data at the district,
school, and classroom levels, including the real
time management of individualized education
programs (e.g., FedEx Dairy Farmers) - greater and faster accessibility to the full
range of print materials - accountability and information management systems
linked to student performance and results
43Five Harsh Realities to Hartleys First Law
44Harsh Realities
- We have more cells than research dollars. Most
cells are either empty or partially filled. None
of the cells are completely filled. Where should
NCSER make investments for the short and long
term? What organizing principles and values
should guide these decisions? - Space and time is at least three-dimensional
Investments must reflect a long-term horizontal
view (breadth) with vertical short-term
investments (depth) that vary over time,
complimented with diagonal investments when
possible/feasible (depending on quality of
research from field). -
45Harsh Realities (Contd)
- What is the capacity of the field to deliver the
research goods? The quality of the research
infrastructure and capacity is essential to good
science and research. - Needed Short and long-term investments in
building professional capacity that is
interdisciplinary, rigorous, and content
intensive in special education as a primary
discipline.
46Harsh Realities (contd)
- What is the capacity of the U.S. Department of
Education and the Institute of Education Sciences
(IES) to deliver the goods? -
- What are the mechanisms for obtaining input from
the fieldindividuals and parents/ caregivers of
children and individuals with disabilities,
professional organizations, stakeholders and the
general publicon the research investments?
47Stockmayers Theorem
- If it looks easy, its tough.
- If it looks tough, its damn well impossible.
- Bloch, A. (1982). Murphys law and other reasons
why things go wrong. LA Price/Stern/Sloan
Publishers, Inc.
48 - The home of
- evidence-based education