The National Center for Special Education Research NCSER: Ode to Minton

1
The National Center for Special Education
Research (NCSER) Ode to Minton

• Edward J. Kameenui. Ph. D.,
• Commissioner

http//ies.ed.gov
2
What is the Institute of Education Sciences?
3
The 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)

4
IES 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

5
Institute of Education Sciences
National Board for Education Sciences Robert C.
Granger, Chair Sonia Chessen, Executive Director
Office of the Director Grover J. Whitehurst,
Director
Office of Science Andrew White, Deputy for
Science    
Office of Administration and Policy Sue
Betka, Deputy for Administration and Policy
Office of Outreach and Communications Mike
Bowler, Director of Outreach and Communications
6
Institute of Education Sciences
Office of the Director Grover J. Whitehurst,
Director
National Board for Education Sciences Robert C.
Granger, Chair Sonia Chessen, Executive Director
National Center for Ed. Evaluation Phoebe
Cottingham, Commissioner
National Center for Education Research Lynn
Okagaki, Commissioner
National Center for Sp. Ed. Research Edward J.
Kameenui, Commissioner
National Center for Educational Statistics Mark
Schneider, Commissioner
7
Appropriated budget for ED research office (now
IES)
8
Appropriated budget for EDby line item
9
The National Center for Special Education
Research (NCSER) in The Institute of Education
Sciences (IES)In Appreciation of
HartleysFirst Law
10
Hartleys 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.

11
Five Organizing Principles

• for
• National Center for Special Education Research in
  the
• Institute of Education Sciences

12
NCSER Organizing Principles

• 1. The science must come first--

13
Ode 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.
14
Weve 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
15
NCSER Organizing Principles

• 1. The science must come first--and it must be
  the best, perhaps even amazing.

16
Methodological 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.

17
Evidence-based Education

• Using the best available empirical evidence in
  making decisions about education

-- Particularly for students with disabilities
18
IES 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

19
Levels 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

20
What Can IDA Do?

• Establish a Scientific Advisory Council to
  anchor the primacy of science in IDA
• 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

21
NCSER Organizing Principles

• 2. Because the special education problem space
  is infinitely broad and complex, we must invest
  wisely and strategically.

22
Features of NCSER Research Matrix

• NCSER Statutory responsibilities 18
• Disability Statutory categories 12
• Total Research Matrix cells 18 x 12 216

23
Matrix of Disability Category by NCSER Duties
24
NCSER Genome Map Just One of 216 Cells
 
25
FY 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

26
FY 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

27
Research 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.

28
NCSER Organizing Principles

• 3. Research in special education is at the
  heart of the National Center for Special
  Education Research (NCSER) in IES.

29
Public 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.

30
Specially 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

31
NCSER Organizing Principles

• 4. Building the research capacity of the field is
  not a Lone Ranger endeavor Collaboration and
  consultation are essential.

32
The 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

33
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services (OSERS)

• John Hager, Assistant Secretary

Dr. Troy Justesen, Deputy Assistant Secretary
Acting Director, Office of Special Education
Programs (OSEP) Dr. Lou Danielson, Director of
Research to Practice Division
34
Ode 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.

35
Engineering 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

36
Five Harsh Realities to Hartleys First Law
37
Harsh 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).
•  

38
Harsh 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.

39
Harsh 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?

40
Stockmayers 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.