Connec-ng Research, Policy and Prac-ce
Researcher-‐Prac**oner Partnerships in Educa*on Research (84.305H)
Allen Ruby, Ph.D.
Na-onal Center for Educa-on Research
Jacquelyn Buckley, Ph.D.
Na-onal Center for Special Educa-on Research ies.ed.gov
Overview • Overview of IES and its mission • General Requirements • Specifics – Purpose – The project narra-ve • • • • •
Significance Partnership Research Plan Personnel Resources
• Other important sec-ons of the applica-on • Preparing and submiOng an applica-on ies.ed.gov 2
Legisla-ve Mission of IES • Describe the condi-on and progress of educa-on in the United States • Iden-fy educa-on prac-ces that improve academic achievement and access to educa-on opportuni-es • Evaluate the effec-veness of Federal and other educa-on programs
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Organiza-onal Structure of IES Office of the Director Standards & Review Office
Na*onal Center for Educa*on Evalua*on ies.ed.gov
Na*onal Center for Educa*on Research
Na*onal Center for Educa*on Sta*s*cs 4 4
Na*onal Board for Educa*on Sciences
Na*onal Center for Special Educa*on Research
IES Grant Programs: Research Objec-ves • Develop or iden-fy educa-on interven-ons (prac-ces, programs, policies, and approaches) – that enhance academic achievement – that can be widely deployed
• Iden-fy what does not work and thereby encourage innova-on and further research • Understand the processes that underlie the effec-veness of educa-on interven-ons and the varia-on in their effec-veness ies.ed.gov
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Partnerships & IES Priori-es IES seeks to… • encourage educa-on researchers to develop partnerships with stakeholder groups to advance relevance of research and usability of its findings for day-‐to-‐day work of educa-on prac--oners and policymakers • increase capacity of educa-on policymakers and prac--oners to use knowledge generated from high quality data analysis, research, and evalua-on through a wide variety of communica-on and outreach strategies
(See h\p://ies.ed.gov/director/board/priori-es.asp) ies.ed.gov
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Research-‐Prac--oner Partnerships in Educa-on Research • Support new to established partnerships • Promote joint research by research ins-tu-ons and SEAs and/or LEAs
– On educa-on issues of key importance to SEAs/LEAs – That will directly contribute to SEA/LEA program and policy decisions – Provide an opportunity to develop the partnership through ini-al research ac-vi-es as well as develop a longer-‐term research plan
• Foster longer-‐term research partnerships
– Provide and support the use of rigorous research-‐based evidence in decision-‐making – Con-nue prac--oner input into research agenda
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General Requirements • Focus on student educa-on outcomes • Partnership between research ins-tu-ons and state educa-on agencies (SEAs) or local educa-on agencies (LEAs) • Ini-al research on an educa-on issue of high priority to the SEA/LEA ies.ed.gov
Focus on Student Educa-on Outcomes • IES funds research to improve the quality of educa-on for all students through advancing the understanding of and prac-ces for teaching, learning, and organizing educa-on systems • All research must address educa-on outcomes of students – Academic outcomes – Social and behavioral competencies that support student success in school ies.ed.gov
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Student Popula-on • Students from prekindergarten through postsecondary and adult educa-on – Typically developing students – Students with disabili-es or at risk for disabili-es • see h%p://ies.ed.gov/ncser/defini3on.asp for specific requirements for iden-fying students at risk for disabili-es status
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Ul-mate Outcomes of Interest: Student Outcomes Grade Prekindergarten (center based)
Outcome School readiness (e.g., pre-‐reading, language, vocabulary, early math and science knowledge, social and behavioral competencies)
Kindergarten – Grade 12
Learning, achievement, and higher-‐order thinking in reading, wri-ng, mathema-cs, and science; progress through the educa-on system (e.g., course and grade comple-on or reten-on, high school gradua-on, and dropout); social and behavioral competencies important to academic and post-‐academic success.
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Ul-mate Outcomes of Interest: Student Outcomes Grade Postsecondary
(Grades 13 – 16) (baccalaureate and sub-‐baccalaureate)
Outcome Access to, persistence in, progress through, and comple-on of postsecondary educa-on; for students in developmental programs, addi-onal outcomes include achievement in reading, wri-ng, English language proficiency, and mathema-cs; success in gateway math and science courses, introductory English composi-on
Adult Educa*on
Student achievement in reading, wri-ng, English (Adult Basic Educa-on, language proficiency, and mathema-cs; access to, Adult Secondary persistence in, progress through, and comple-on Educa-on, Adult ESL, of adult educa-on programs and HS equivalency prepara-on) ies.ed.gov
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Addi-onal Outcomes for Students With or At-‐Risk for Disabili-es • Applicants are encouraged to also include outcomes accepted under the NCSER grant programs
• Development outcomes for younger students – cogni-ve, communica-ve, linguis-c, social, emo-onal, adap-ve, func-onal or physical development
• Func-onal outcomes for older students – that improve educa-onal results and transi-ons to employment, independent living, and postsecondary educa-on ies.ed.gov
Applica-ons must be from a Partnership • Applica-ons must include at least one Principal Inves-gator (PI) from a research ins-tu-on and at least one PI from a U.S. state or local educa-on agency – PI from research ins*tu*on: Must have the ability and capacity to conduct scien-fically valid research and exper-se in the educa-on issue to be addressed – PI from state or local educa*on agency: Must have decision-‐making authority for the issue within his or her agency ies.ed.gov
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Partnership • Partnership may be new or exis-ng • Research ins-tu-on has a broad defini-on – Ability and capacity to conduct scien-fically valid research
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Partnership: SEAs • State educa-on agencies – Examples: educa-on agencies, departments, boards, commissions – Oversee early learning, elementary, secondary, postsecondary and/or adult educa-on – Also includes educa-on agencies in District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and each of the outlying areas
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Partnership: LEAs • Local educa-on agencies which are primarily public school districts • Community college districts • Tribal educa-on agencies • State and city postsecondary systems – If there is a state or city higher educa-on agency that oversees the postsecondary system, include them as an agency partner – If there is no state or city educa-on agency that oversees the postsecondary system, the system can apply as the sole agency partner – A postsecondary system that applies as an educa-on agency partner cannot also serve as the research ins-tu-on partner in the same project
• Adult educa-on providers (defined under WIOA) can serve as the partner when there is no state or local educa-on agency for adult educa-on
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Addi-onal Partners • Partnerships may include more than one state or local educa-on agency if they share similari-es and interests • Non-‐educa-on state and local agencies may be partners as long as an educa-on agency is a partner • Partnerships may include more than one research ins-tu-on if they have shared interests and will make unique contribu-ons • Partnerships may include other non-‐research organiza-ons (e.g., issue-‐oriented or stakeholder groups) that will contribute to the partnership and its work
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Ini-al Research • Address an educa-on issue with important implica-ons for improving student achievement that is of high priority to the educa-on agency • Lead to a plan for further research on the issue • Increase the educa-on agency’s capacity to take part in research and use research results
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Check the Fit of Your Research and the Research Partnership Grant Topic • Not appropriate if you are not looking at student outcomes • Not appropriate if you are ready to carry out a project under 305A or 324A (Explora-on, Development, Efficacy, Measurement) • Not appropriate if the educa-on agency does not wish to be a full partner
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Research Partnership: Purpose • Support partnerships of research ins-tu-ons and state or local educa-on agencies
– Iden-fy an educa-on issue or problem of high priority for the educa-on agency – The educa-on issue has important implica-ons for improving student educa-on outcomes
• Carry out ini-al research on the educa-on issue • Develop a plan for future research on the educa-on issue • Increase the educa-on agency’s capacity for taking part in research and using research results
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Expected Products of the Grants 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
A descrip-on of the partnership as developed over the grant A descrip-on of the educa-on issue addressed by the partners Findings from the completed ini-al research A plan for the partnership to carry out future research A descrip-on of the agency capacity-‐building ac-vi-es Recommenda-ons for how the partnership could be maintained over the longer term 7. Lessons learned from developing the partnership that could be used by others in forming such partnerships
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The Project Narra-ve • • • • •
Significance Partnership Research Plan Personnel Resources
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Significance • Jus-fy the importance of the partnership’s proposed work
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Significance • Clearly describe the educa-on issue – Link it to specific student outcomes (theore-cally and empirically)
• Jus-fy its importance to the SEA/LEA – Iden-fy what the educa-on agency hopes to learn
• Iden-fy how the knowledge to be obtained from the research would be useful to the agency’s prac-ce – Describe specific decisions the agency needs to make
• The general importance of the issue (secondary importance) – Educa-on agencies not involved in the partnership – The field of educa-on research ies.ed.gov
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The Project Narra-ve • • • • •
Significance Partnership Research Plan Personnel Resources
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Describe the Partnership • Describe the partners
– The research ins-tu-on and the educa-on agency – Other members of the partnership – Stage of the partnership – influence on project – The process through which the partners decided to propose a Researcher-‐Prac--oner project – How the research ques-ons were developed in partnership and how the partners have an interest in answering them. – Other agency partnerships in place (non-‐overlap) – Management structure and procedures to keep the project on track and ensure quality of the research – Data sharing and housing agreement
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Partnership Development Plan • Partnership’s decision-‐making process • Improving the educa-on agency’s capacity to par-cipate in and use educa-on research – Iden-fy the agency’s interests in capacity building – The agency’s specific understanding of the proposed research design and the validity and generaliza-on of the evidence provided from it – The agency’s general capacity to understand and use research – Specific skills or data the agency wants to acquire for future work
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Tracking the Partnership • Monitoring the success of the partnership – During the project – Amer the project: opportuni-es for the partnership to con-nue and for the agency to be more able to par-cipate in and use research
• Open to field generated measures
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The Project Narra-ve • • • • •
Significance Partnership Research Plan Personnel Resources
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Research Plan • The plan for carrying out the ini-al research • The plan for preparing for the future research that is to occur following the project
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Ini-al Research • Objec-ves of the research – Answer the research ques-ons – Contribute to the understanding of the educa-on issue – Provide useful informa-on to the educa-on agency
• Specifics – Sample – SeOng – Measures (including student educa-on outcomes) – Research Design – Data Analyses ies.ed.gov
Framing the Ini-al Research • Working forwards – what do we need to know about the educa-on issue to make decisions • Work backwards from future research – what would need to be done now to support a future: – Explora-on project – Development and Innova-on project – Evalua-on project (Efficacy/Replica-on, State/Local) – Measurement project ies.ed.gov
Ini-al Research Methods • Quan-ta-ve Descrip-ve and Exploratory Data Analysis – Primary data: collec-on and analysis – Secondary data: merging and analysis – Combina-on of both
• Supplemented with qualita-ve analysis – Case studies, interviews, focus groups
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Plan for Future Research • Describe the development process for the future research based on the results of the ini-al research
– How the partnership will determine the future research plan – How the ini-al research is required before the future research could be proposed
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The Project Narra-ve • • • • •
Significance Partnership Research Plan Personnel Resources
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Personnel • Iden-fy all key personnel on the project team – Roles and responsibili-es on the project – Qualifica-ons (i.e., exper-se and experience) to carry out the roles and responsibili-es – % FTE on the project (one key person should have enough -me to maintain progress of project) – Past success at working in similar partnerships
• PI qualifica-ons for managing a grant of this size and type • The PI may be from either the research ins-tu-on or the educa-on agency, but there must also be a Co-‐PI from the other partners. • The PI or Co-‐PI from the educa-on agency must have decision-‐ making authority for the issue being examined ies.ed.gov
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Resources • Describe the ins-tu-onal resources of all the ins-tu-ons involved in the partnership and how these resources will contribute to building the partnership and to the research – Ins-tu-onal capacity to manage the grant – Resources available at the partner ins-tu-ons that will be used – Plans to acquire any major resources not yet in hand – Joint Le\er of Agreement by partners (Appendix D) ies.ed.gov
Resources • If districts or schools are taking part… – Districts and schools should document their involvement – E.g., Le\ers of Agreement in Appendix D
• If secondary data is being analyzed… – The organiza-on holding those data should document their willingness to provide the data – E.g., Le\ers of Agreement in Appendix D
• If district/school staff are taking part… – E.g., through surveys, observa-ons, logs – Discuss how their coopera-on will be obtained (e.g., use of incen-ves) and their current knowledge of the project ies.ed.gov
Resources: Dissemina-on of Results • Research Partnership projects are likely to iden-fy fruiqul areas for further research a\en-on and lessons on how to build research • Describe your capacity to disseminate findings • Iden-fy all your audiences and how you will disseminate the results to them – Throughout the SEA/LEA (through an ongoing process) – Other educa-on agencies, policymakers, and prac--oners – The research community – The public
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Other Important Sec-ons of the Applica-on • • • • •
Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Budget and Budget Narra-ve
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Appendix A Page Limit: 3 • If you are resubmi;ng an applica3on, use up to 3 pages to discuss how you responded to reviewer comments
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Appendix B Page Limit: 15 • Figures, charts, or tables that supplement the project narra-ve • Timelines for the project • Examples of measures to be used – (e.g., tests, surveys, observa-on and interview protocols)
• Do not include narra-ve text
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Appendix C Page Limit: 10 • If you are proposing to study a prac3ce, program, policy or assessment, you may include examples of materials used, e.g., – curriculum material – teacher observa-on protocol – computer screen shots – assessment items – other materials ies.ed.gov
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Appendix D No Page Limit • Le\ers of Agreement from all the research partners – Joint Le\er from key partners – Separate Le\ers from other organiza-ons involved – Le\ers should clearly state the organiza-on’s expected role in the partnership and their commitments to the project – Similar le\ers from any consultants and schools taking part – Le\ers from holders of data should make clear that the data described in the applica-on will be provided for the proposed use by the project ies.ed.gov
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Budget & Budget Narra-ve • The maximum project length is 2 years • The maximum award is $400,000 – The size of the award depends on the scope of the project
• Include a detailed budget form (SF 424) AND a narra-ve that links the ac-vi-es and personnel described in the Project Narra-ve to the funds requested ies.ed.gov
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Important Dates and Deadlines Applica*on Deadline
LeWer of Applica*on Start Dates Intent Due Package Date Posted August 4, May 19, 2016 May 19, 2016 July 1, 2017 2016 to 4:30:00 PM Sept 1, 2017 DC Time
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Informa-on Sources • Request for Applica-ons
– h\p://ies.ed.gov/funding/
• Abstracts of Projects
– h\p://ies.ed.gov/funding/grantsearch/index.asp
• Le\er of Intent
– h\ps://iesreview.ed.gov/index.cfm
• Applica-on Package – www.grants.gov
• Program Officer
–
[email protected] –
[email protected]
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Peer Review (Standards & Review Office) • Compliance screening for format requirements • Responsiveness screening for program requirements • Assigned to review panel – 2-‐3 reviewers (substan-ve and methodological) – If scored high enough, applica-on is reviewed by full panel • Many panelists will be generalists to your topic • Panels contain experts in relevant methodologies
– Panel provides an overall score plus scores on Significance, Partnership, Research Plan, Personnel, and Resources ies.ed.gov
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No-fica-on • All applicants will receive e-‐mail no-fica-on that the following informa-on is available via the Applicant No-fica-on System (ANS): • Status of award • Reviewer summary statement
• If you are not granted an award the first -me, consider resubmiOng and talking with your program officer
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For More Informa-on
h\p://ies.ed.gov/funding
Jacquelyn Buckley Na-onal Center for Special Educa-on Research
[email protected]
Allen Ruby Na-onal Center for Educa-on Research
[email protected]
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