Overview of Education Research & Development Centers Competition (84

Overview of Education Research & Development Centers Competition (84
Overview of Education Research & Development Centers Competition (84.305C) Good afternoon. Welcome to the Overview of the Education Research & Development Centers Competition. This presentation is part of the Research Funding Opportunities Webinar Series hosted by the National Center for Education Research of the Institute of Education Sciences. Our presenters today are IES Program Officers Rebecca McGill-Wilkinson, James Benson, Erin Higgins, and Jonathan Levy. My name is Rebecca McGill-Wilkinson, I'm going to start off by giving you an overview of IES and the R&D centers, and then I will speak about the research and development center on knowledge utilization. Rebecca McGill-Wilkinson, Ph.D. James Benson, Ph.D. Erin Higgins, Ph.D. & Jonathan Levy, Ph.D. National Center for Education Research

Organizational Structure of IES
National Board for Education Sciences Standards & Review Office Office of the Director National Center for Education Evaluation National Center for Education Statistics National Center for Education Research National Center for Special Education Research This diagram shows the organizational structure of IES. As you can see under the Office of the Director, there are four national centers. The National Center for Education Evaluation handles the Regional Education Laboratories and the What Works Clearinghouse. The National Center for Education Statistics handles many of our assessments and statistics including the NAEP. Finally, the two boxes in blue are our research centers: the National Center for Education Research and the National Center for Special Education Research.

Missions of the Research Centers
NCER supports rigorous research that addresses the nation’s most pressing education needs, from early childhood to adult education NCSER sponsors a rigorous and comprehensive program of special education research designed to expand the knowledge and understanding of infants, toddlers, and students with or at risk for disabilities from birth through high school The two research centers both have similar missions. They both support rigorous research that addresses the nation's most pressing education needs. For NCER, this is from early childhood through adult education, and for NCSER, this is for students with disabilities or at risk for disabilities from birth through high school.

IES Grant Programs: Research Objectives
Develop or identify education interventions (practices, programs, policies, and approaches) that enhance academic achievement that can be widely deployed Identify what does not work and thereby encourage innovation and further research Understand the processes that underlie the effectiveness of education interventions and the variation in their effectiveness The IES research grant programs have a number of objectives. The first is to develop or identify education interventions that enhance academic achievement and can be widely deployed. By “interventions” we mean anything from practices to policies or approaches. They can be curricula, instructional models, or PD programs. All of these are considered interventions. The second research objective is to identify what does not work in education and thereby encourage future innovation and further research. The final research objective is to understand the processes that underlie the effectiveness of education interventions and the variation in their effectiveness. A good way to think about these objectives are that research focuses on what works in education, what doesn't work in education, and when it works, who it works for, when it doesn't work, who it doesn't work for.

Education Research & Development Centers (84.305C)

Research & Development Centers: Purpose
Contribute to solving U.S. education problems, improve the education system, and increase student achievement through Research Development Evaluation National leadership The general purpose of the R&D Centers is to contribute to solving U.S. education problems, improve the education system, and increase student achievement through research, development, evaluation, and national leadership.

Research & Development Centers: Activities
Focused research program Contribute to solution of specific education problem within the Center’s topic Generate new knowledge and theories Detailed plan of focused program required 75% of activities should be for focused program of research Each research and development center is required to have a focused program of research. As we go through the centers we are competing for FY 2015, we will each be talking about the focused program of research for that particular center. The focused research program should contribute to the solution of the specific education problem within the center’s topic, and should generate new knowledge and theories. When you write your application, you will be required to include a detailed plan of the focused research program, and 75% of your research activities should be the focused program of research.

Supplemental activities Meetings, smaller-scale studies Work cooperatively with the Institute to select and design No detailed plan needed Show capacity for conducting supplemental activities Set aside up to 5% of budget annually There are some other activities in which each R&D center will be required to engage. First are supplemental activities. These include meetings and smaller-scale studies, for example. Any center awarded will work cooperatively with the Institute to select and design those supplemental activities. In your application, no detailed plan of these activities is needed. However, you need to be able to show capacity for conducting supplemental activities, and you need to set aside up to 5% of your budget annually in your application.

Leadership and outreach Engage with researchers, practitioners, and policymakers Website with reports, papers, etc. Innovative uses of technology (e.g., webinars, podcasts) Describe audiences and activities Show capacity for leadership and outreach Finally, R&D centers are required to engage in leadership and outreach. This includes engagement with researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. We recommend a website which can include documents, such as reports and papers. The Institute also encourages you to think about innovative uses of technology for leadership and outreach, such as webinars and podcasts or other ideas you may have. In your application, you should describe the audiences to which you will aim your leadership and outreach, and activities for leadership and outreach. You should also make sure to show capacity for leadership and outreach.

Research & Development Center on Knowledge Utilization
The R&D Center on Knowledge Utilization is the first of the three R&D centers competing for Fiscal Year 2015.

Purpose Research Leadership and outreach
Develop tools for observing and measuring research use in schools Illuminate the conditions under which practitioners use researcher and factors that promote or inhibit research use in schools Identify strategies that make research more meaningful to and impactful on education practice Leadership and outreach Demonstrate effective means of knowledge transfer to improve school performance and student outcomes The purpose of this R&D Center is to engage in research and leadership and outreach. Under research, the Center’s activities should be aimed at: Developing tools for observing and measuring research used in schools; illuminating the conditions under which practitioners use research and factors that promote or inhibit research use; and identifying strategies that make research more meaningful and impactful on education. The Center is also expected to engage in leadership and outreach activities to demonstrate effective means of knowledge transfer to improved school performance and student outcomes.

Background Findings from high-quality research and evaluation on impact of education policies and interventions Concern that this information is not used by practitioners To adopt interventions with beneficial effects on students To discard interventions with adverse or null effects We now have a large fairly large body of research that shows certain policies and interventions have a positive impact on student outcomes. However, this information may or may not be used by practitioners in schools. It is possible practitioners are not adopting interventions with beneficial effects on students, and it’s also possible they are using interventions that may have adverse or no affect.

Background: Potential Causes
Misalignment between research questions (e.g., does it work?) and practitioners’ concerns (e.g., how do I use it with my students?) Misunderstanding of social context of practitioners Research use is multilevel phenomenon (e.g. involves districts, school leaders, and teachers) Need new ways of working with practitioners Partnerships Bidirectional model of relationship Intermediary organizations There are a number of reasons why there may be a disconnect between the research field and the practitioners. First of all, there may be a misalignment between the researchers’ questions and practitioners’ concerns. Researchers may be concerned with questions about whether the intervention works. However, practitioners might be concerned with how to use the intervention with their particular students in their particular school. Another possibility for the potential cause of research not being used in schools is there may be a misunderstanding of the social context of practitioners. Research uses a multilevel phenomenon that involves districts, school leaders, and teachers, and research may not take that into account. Additionally, it may be that researchers need new ways of working with practitioners. For example, forming partnerships with practitioners, or thinking about a bidirectional model of relationships. Instead of research to practice, it may be necessary to think about practice and research in a relationship in which each influences the other. Also, intermediary organizations may provide an additional way of working with practitioners that would benefit researchers and produce higher rates of research use in schools.

The Center’s Focused Program of Research
One measurement study Develop (or modify) and validate tools for observing and measuring research use in schools and school districts Two descriptive studies Understand the conditions under which research is used and factors that promote or inhibit research use in schools Identify practices that are associated with greater use of research in schools and school districts The Knowledge Utilization Center’s focused program of research should include one measurement study and two descriptive studies. The measurement study should develop, or modify, and validate tools for observing and measuring research used in schools and school districts. The first descriptive study should focus on understanding the conditions under which research is used and the factors that promote or inhibit research use. The second descriptive study should identify practices associated with greater use of research and schools and school districts. We’re going to go over these studies in more detail in just a couple of minutes.

The Center’s Focused Program of Research
Option to conduct Development Study or Efficacy Study As alternative to one or both descriptive studies To develop a pilot intervention to improve research use in schools Or to conduct an efficacy study to assess the impact of a particular practice on the use of research in schools or school districts Study may range along a continuum of rigor You also have an option to conduct a development study or efficacy study as an alternative to one or both of the descriptive studies. If you are interested, you may develop a pilot intervention to improve research use in schools, or you may conduct an efficacy study to assess the impact of a particular practice on the use of research and schools or districts. Your study may range along a continuum of rigor.

Significance of Center
Significance section at start of Research Narrative Discuss the significance of your proposed Center Your vision of the Center What problems it is intended to address How your set of research and leadership activities will work together to promote the use of scientific education research in schools and districts Discuss significance of three studies in focused research program Describe how you will engage researchers and practitioners in the work and communication of findings The significance section is at the start of your research narrative in your application. In the significance section, you should discuss the significance of your center, including your vision for the center, what problems it is intended to address, and how your set of research and leadership activities will promote the use of scientific education research in schools and districts. You will need to discuss the significance of the three studies in your focused program of research, and you will need to describe how you will engage researchers and practitioners in the work and the communication of your findings.

The Measurement Study: Research Questions
What are the right indicators to know if school staff are using education research in their decision-making? How to capture variation in research use across schools, school district, and over time? You may expand or add additional research questions (and should provide justification for doing so) For the measurement study, you may include a number of research questions. For example, you may ask, “What are the right indicators to know if school staff are using education research? What is the best way to capture variations of research used across schools, across districts, and over time? You may expand on or add additional research questions. You just need to provide justification for doing so.

The Measurement Study: Methodological Requirements
Methods of developing (or modifying) and validating assessment(s) Approach for gathering psychometric evidence Sample and setting Characteristics, size, and analytic adequacy of the sample, including justification for inclusion and exclusion criteria Timeline For the measurement study there are a number of methodological requirements. You need to indicate the methods of developing, or modifying, and validating your assessment or set of assessments. You need to discuss your approach for gathering psychometric evidence. You also need to include a description of the sample and the setting. The characteristics, size, and analytic adequacy of the sample, including justification for any inclusion exclusion criteria. You also need to include a timeline.

Descriptive Study 1: Research Questions
What role do State and local education agencies play in making research available to school administrators, faculty, and staff? What role do school leaders play? How do education agencies, school leaders, and teachers obtain and process scientific information? How do social networks within schools and school districts appear to support or hinder research use? What are the major incentives or disincentives for practitioners to better understand and apply education research? What contextual factors seem to affect the use of research in schools and school districts? You may expand or add additional research questions (and should provide justification for doing so) For Descriptive Study 1, which again is aimed at understanding the conditions under which research is used and at the factors that promote or inhibit research used in school, you may have a number of research questions including: What role do state and local education agencies play in making research available? What role do school leaders play? How do education agencies, school leaders, and teachers process scientific information? How do social networks appear to support or hinder research use? What are the major incentives or disincentives to better understand and apply education research? What contextual factors seem to affect the use of research in schools and school districts? You may expand or add additional research questions as long as you provide justification for doing so.

Descriptive Study 2: Research Questions
Do certain communication strategies used by researchers or intermediaries correlate with greater use of research by practitioners? Is the presence or absence of intermediaries associated with greater use? Are particular technological innovations associated with greater use of research by practitioners? Are partnerships between researchers and practitioners associated with greater research use? To what extent do researchers perceive partnerships with practitioners as an enhancement or burden to their work? You may expand or add additional research questions (and should provide justification for doing so) For Descriptive Study 2, aimed at identifying practices that are associated with greater use of research in schools and school districts, some possible research questions include: d Do certain communication strategies used by researchers or intermediaries correlate with greater research use? Is the presence or absence of intermediaries associated with greater use? Are particular technological innovations associated with greater use? Are partnerships between researchers and practitioners associated with greater use? To what extent to researchers perceive partnerships with practitioners as an enhancement or burden to their work? Again, you may expand or add additional research questions as long as you provide justification for doing so.

Descriptive Studies: Methodological Requirements
Population from which you’ll select your sample and sampling approach Measures Data collection and analysis plan Timeline The two descriptive studies have similar methodological requirements. You should outline the population from which you will select your sample, and describe your sampling approach. You should describe your measures, data collection and analysis plan, and you should include a timeline.

Optional Development or Efficacy Study: Methodological Requirements
Clear description of intervention to be developed or evaluated, including a theory of change Research questions Sample and setting Study designs may fall along a continuum of rigor but efficacy studies should meet What Works Clearinghouse evidence standards Detailed power analysis Read Goal 2 and Goal 3 of A RFA for more details on methodological requirements For the optional development or efficacy study, you should include a clear description of the intervention to be developed or evaluated, including a theory of change. You should include your research questions, sample and setting, and a detailed power analysis. Your study design may fall along the continuum of rigor, but efficacy studies should meet What Works Clearinghouse evidence standards with or without reservations. You should read the descriptions of Development and Efficacy projects in the RFA for details on the methodological requirements. That RFA will provide more details on the methodological requirements you should include.

Optional Development or Efficacy Study: Methodological Requirements
Measures, including of fidelity and comparison group practices Key moderators and mediators Plan to analyze implementation fidelity and comparison group practices Data analysis plan Timeline Additional methodological requirements include: a description of the measures, including fidelity and comparison group practices; moderators and mediators; your plan to analyze implementation fidelity and comparison group practices; a detailed data analysis plan; and a timeline. Again refer to the RFA for more details.

Leadership & Outreach Innovative approaches to fostering dialogue among practitioners and researchers You may coordinate leadership/outreach with annual conferences to save time/money Institute encourages website Institute open to learning how other applied social sciences encourage research use among practitioners For leadership and outreach, the Institute encourages innovative approaches to fostering dialogue among practitioners and researchers. You may coordinate your leadership and outreach with annual conferences to save time and money. In other words, if there are certain conferences of certain organizations that happen annually, you could plan your leadership and outreach activities to occur at those conferences instead of organizing your own separate meeting. We encourage you to have a website. Finally, the Institute is interested and open to learning how other applied social sciences encourage research use among practitioners.

Maximum Awards 5 years $5,000,000 Maximum of one award
Focused program of research must comprise at least 75% of the total budget Finally, the maximum award for the Knowledge Utilization Center is five years and $5 million. How you distribute the $5 million across those five years is up to you. These are maximums; you may request less than five years and you may request less than $5 million. However, you can't request more than five years or more than $5 million. The Institute will make a maximum of one award. And I mentioned this already but will say it again here, the focused program of research must comprise at least 75% of your total budget.

Research & Development Center on Standards in Schools
Good afternoon, everybody. I am James Benson. I am here to talk about Standards in Schools Center.

Motivation Standards being rapidly deployed
>40 states currently implementing the Common Core State Standards Others implementing some form of college- and career-ready standards Little known about the actions that districts are taking to implement the standards and the influence that the standards are having in schools and classrooms I want to start out by just saying a little bit about the motivation for the Center. The Institute is very aware that standards, especially the Common Core State Standards are being rapidly deployed in over 40 states across the country. We are also aware that other states that have not adopted the Common Core State Standards are also implementing some form of college- and career-ready standards. Despite this widespread implementation, little is known about the actions districts are taking to implement the standards, and little is known about the influence that the standards are having in schools and classrooms.

Motivation Need for a Network
To coordinate a research agenda on standards that addresses the needs of practitioners and policymakers for timely information To coordinate efforts of researchers from multiple areas of expertise Another motivation for the center is we see there is a need for a network and a network will help coordinate a research agenda on standards that addresses the needs of practitioners and policymakers for timely information and will provide a forum in which researchers can coordinate their efforts. We envision researchers from a multiple areas of expertise being involved with the center.

Purpose Timely and accurate information
The Center will be a source for unbiased information regarding implementation of the standards. Leadership, Outreach and Networking The Center will bring together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers who are actively engaged in standards-related research, practice, and policy development. Assess Early Outcomes of College- and Career-Ready standards The Center will be at the forefront of assessing whether the standards are making a difference, and for whom. The Center will be a source for unbiased information regarding implementation of the standards. We expect that the Center will focus on what the standards mean for students in schools in classrooms across a variety of geographic areas and social contexts. As the Institute has already done with a Technical Working Group in summer 2013, the Center will convene researchers, practitioners and policymakers to define pressing issues, set research priorities, and plan how researchers can work across institutions and disciplines to meet these needs. To the greatest extent possible at this point in time, the Center will be actively engaged in looking at early effects of the standards, with a keen eye to understanding which student groups are responding positively (and negatively) to standards-aligned policies, instruction, and assessments. The next two parts of my presentation are going to cover two main objectives. The first objective is to give you more clarity as to what we envision each of the studies and main activities of the center to look like, and the second and last portion of my presentation will focus on some advice for you as you go about the process of writing your application. To cover the studies I will start with the implementation study.

Main Focus Areas for the Center
The Center must carry out three focused activities: An Implementation Study A Longitudinal Outcomes Study A Leadership and Outreach Program The Center may also elect to conduct a Measurement Study. These are the required activities that a responsive application must propose, and that an approved project must carry out. That said, the RFA has left substantial room for applicants to propose approaches to each of these activities that align with the applicants’ sense of what is necessary at this point in time, given the current state of standards implementation. The measurement study component is optional. The applicant may choose to (and should justify) development of new measures of teacher practice, alignment of activities to standards, etc. that are crucial to the broader research agenda.

Implementation Study Goals
How is implementation taking place? What strategies are SEAs and/or LEAs taking to implement college- and career-ready standards? How do these strategies vary across sites? How are implementation strategies seeking to address the needs of key student groups including ELLs and students with disabilities? What changes, if any, are college- and career-ready standards bringing about in schools and classrooms? The next two parts of my presentation are going to cover two main objectives. The first objective is to give you more clarity as to what we envision each of the studies and main activities of the center to look like and the second and last portion of my presentation will focus on some advice for you, as you go about the process of writing your application. To cover the studies, I will start with the implementation study. In the implementation study, what we have in mind is that it will address strategies SEAs and LEAs are taking to implement college- and career-ready standards. How do these strategies vary across sites? How are implementation strategies seeking to address the needs of key student groups including English language learners and students with disabilities? And what changes, if any, are college- and career- ready standards bringing about in schools and classrooms.

Implementation Study RFA encourages an expansive view of implementation, including several key dimensions, such as: State, district and school leader support for implementation Professional development for teachers Curriculum materials Teacher practice Student assessment All of the above as they pertain to ELLs and students with disabilities Broader contextual factors that may affect implementation This set of dimensions is informed by the National Research Council (2003) model for how standards can impact student outcomes. Policy at multiple levels: There is a need to think beyond the policy itself and its intentions, to the motivations and activities of policymakers at multiple levels, starting at the state level, proceeding through districts, and also considering school leaders as front-line policy interpreters and implementers. Within the NRC framework, standards become important to students (and potentially effect their skill development and performance) through three main pathways: Curriculum materials, comprising the full range of sources, e.g. vendors, districts, online and open-source, and teacher-constructed. Training and professional development for teachers; In this area, we see a need to think beyond generic PD, to forms of PD aimed at developing the content knowledge and instructional practices necessary to teach the advanced comprehension, computing, reasoning, and communication skills encouraged in the standards. Assessments. The applicant can choose the extent to which they address the impact of standards, and other dimensions. The logic for their inclusion is that skills and practices tend to become important to students and teachers when they are tested on them. Also within the NRC framework, there is awareness of policy implementation within a broader socio-demographic context in which resources for instruction and learning vary across districts, schools and communities. There is also an awareness of a diverse student population, and the very real possibility that standards may impact students groups differently.

Longitudinal Outcomes Study
OPTIONS: Exploratory or Efficacy Study Twin goals Assess the relation between standards implementation and student outcomes Assess the factors that explain variation in student performance across sites Next, I am going to speak about the longitudinal outcomes study this study can be in either exploratory or efficacy study. An exploratory study would examine the relationship between standards and student outcomes across sites with implementation that varies naturally or purposely, according to the sampling strategy. The project could choose the sites with known or expected variation and implementation. In comparison, and efficacy study would experimentally control the type of implementation such that it would be very clear what type of implementation students in the treatment group would be exposed to. The twin goals for each of these longitudinal outcomes studies are as follows. The study should assess the “effects” of standards implementation for students in general, as well as key student groups, including English language learners and students with disabilities. I put the term “effects” in parentheses because we understand that and exploratory study is not going to generate impact estimates for effects. The second goal for both of these studies is that the study should systematically examine mediators and moderators that will potentially explain variations in student performance across sites and settings. We have a question that came in. The first question is, “Do we need to have LEA or SEA already selected prior to submission?” The answer is yes. You are going to need to know what your sites are, and you are going to need to have letters of agreement from those sites.

Possible Research Questions
Should reflect the broad objectives for the Center As CCRS standards are implemented… Do student outcomes improve or worsen as CCRS are implemented, including for sub-groups? Do achievement gaps between sub-groups improve or worsen over the study period? Which factors (implementation or contextual) moderate the relation between the standards and student outcomes? Possible research questions for the longitudinal outcomes studies should reflect the broad objectives of the center. Here would be some questions we expect you to address with the center. a) Do student outcomes improve or worsen as CCRS are implemented, including for sub-groups? b) Do achievement gaps between key sub-groups narrow or widen over the study period? c) What factors (implementation or contextual) moderate the relation between the standards and student outcomes? Of course there will be additional questions you will want to address, and you may want to make these questions more specific.

Leadership & Outreach Activities
The Center should be a source of objective information for a variety of audiences from federal policymakers to local audiences. Minimum requirements Provide specifics about the targeted audiences and strategies to reach those audiences Maintain a website Convene researchers and stakeholders to discuss research findings and needs The Institute envisions that the center will be a source of objective information for a variety of audiences from federal policymakers to local audiences. The minimum requirement for leadership and outreach are as follows. The center should provide specifics about the targeted audiences and strategies to reach those audiences. The center will be expected to maintain a website and the center will convene researchers and stakeholders to discuss research needs and research findings.

Application Sections Significance of the Focused Program of Research
Research Plan for the Focused Program of Research Plans for Other Center Activities (Leadership & Outreach) Management and Institutional Resources Personnel In the next portion of the presentation I am going to speak about the three sections of the application that are substantively different for each of the research and development centers. The final two categories, management and institutional resources and personnel are common across all of the centers and so those will be covered at the end of this overall presentation.

Application: Significance Section
Opportunities and Challenges posed by college- and career-ready (CCR) standards Major research issues in need of attention How will your approach address these issues, and the goals of the Center? Conceptual Framework and Literature Review What is your conceptual framework? How is it grounded in theory on standards? How will it guide research design, data collection and analysis plans? You should begin your application by explaining the major opportunities and challenges that college- and career-ready standards present to schools and teachers. (Your discussion need not be confined to the Common Core State Standards.) You should identify the major research issues and what role the Center will play in addressing them. You should present a conceptual framework that will guide the research design, data collection and analysis plans described later in the proposal. The conceptual framework should include a discussion of the theory underlying college- and career-ready standards and how they might lead to improvements in classroom teaching, student learning, and college- and career-readiness.

Application: Significance Section
Sites Describe geography, school setting, student population, implementation of standards How will findings inform policy discussions and analysis? Describe partnerships with SEAs, LEAs Letters of agreement (Appendix D) Research Agenda Areas of focus for your Implementation Study Research questions for your Outcomes Study Justification for measures IF you propose measure development Your significance section should also describe the sites where you will conduct the study. or this application, a site may be defined as a state or school district. The Institute envisions that the Center will include a minimum of three or four study sites that represent different settings and different approaches to standards implementation. Strong applications will include some description of the characteristics of the schools and students that will be included in the study and a preliminary discussion of how far along the schools are in implementing standards. It is the Institute’s intention that the researchers engage with study sites as partners, providing meaningful opportunities for sites to identify issues and questions that are important to them and to receive briefings and other communications as findings emerge. State or school district personnel may also work with the research team to collect and analyze data. You should discuss how you envision the partnerships will operate and what roles state or local policymakers and practitioners will play. Signed letters of agreement from appropriate school officials must be included in Appendix D. Convincing letters will make clear how the sites will work with the research team and that they understand what their participation in the study entails (e.g., providing access to schools and classrooms, gathering student records data, etc.).

Application: Research Plan
Implementation Study Sample selection, including population and sampling method Measures you will use Data collection strategy Analysis plan Timeline Next I am going to speak about the research plan. You may use either quantitative methods, qualitative methods or a combination, but make clear how each method will be used and for what purpose. For example, if you plan to conduct surveys and/or qualitative interviews with school administrators or teachers, you should make clear who will receive the surveys or interviews and what topics they will address. Similarly, if you plan to conduct classroom observations, you should make clear which classes you will observe and why. You should describe the data collection instruments you will use and, where appropriate, their reliability and validity. Finally, you should explain how you will analyze the data collected from your implementation study. Because implementation is a dynamic process – and because different actors within a site may have divergent perspectives and experiences – you should explain your procedures with sufficient detail to convince reviewers that your data collection activities will provide an accurate and fair depiction of implementation.

Longitudinal Outcomes Study Exploration Study Population and sample selection Measures you will use; student outcomes Data collection and analysis plans Timeline Efficacy Study All of the above Research design to produce impact estimates Power analysis Data analysis procedures Dissemination plan As noted before, you can choose between an exploration study and an efficacy study. For the Exploration Study, the Institute recommends that you refer to the guidelines for a Goal 1 Exploration study in its Education Research Grants Program (CFDA A) to make sure your methodological discussion is complete. Exploration studies focus on identifying relations between malleable factors and student outcomes. Often, a well-designed exploration study will examine factors that mediate and/or moderate the relation between a malleable factor and a student outcome. A strong exploration study will connect measures to the conceptual framework, and will employ measures fully capable of measuring elements within the framework. For the Efficacy Study, you can use a proven quasi-experimental or experimental design. Your description of it should include all of the above, as well as a power analysis, data analysis procedures, and a dissemination plan (for the results of the study). For a quasi-experimental design, the Institute encourages applicants to consider using an interrupted time series (e.g., see Dee and Jacob, 2011) or other quasi-experimental design if possible (see the Institute’s What Works Clearinghouse evidence standards). For an experimental design, the Institute recommends that you refer to the guidelines for a Goal 3 Efficacy and Replication study in its Education Research Grants Program (CFDA A) to make sure your methodological discussion is complete. The design must facilitate estimating causal impacts of the approach taken. Student outcomes are common across both types of studies and they include test performance, great promotion, high school graduation, post secondary enrollment and workforce entry. These are not requirements, but there are options for you to choose from and you should argue for the student outcomes that you feel like our most appropriate to answering the research questions you consider to be central to addressing issues relating to college and career readiness standards.

Optional Measurement Study Provide a rationale for a new measure or substantial modification to an existing measure Instructional practice Classroom activities Opportunities to learn Alignment of instruction, classroom activities, or curriculum materials to college- and career-ready standards For the optional measurement study, if you choose to do one, you should provide a rationale for a new measure or substantial modification to an existing measure. You may choose to develop several types of measures. One would be a measure of instructional practice another would be a measurement of classroom activities, and another would be a measure of opportunities to learn. Since we are talking about standards and many standards-related measures have measured alignment, you could propose to develop or revise a measure that gets at alignment of instruction, classroom activities or curriculum materials to college- and career-ready standards.

Application: Leadership and Outreach
Target Audiences: Who will you be speaking to and what will be the key topics for each group? National audiences (including federal policymakers and national organizations) Local audiences where the research will be conducted Role of practitioners in reviewing findings Website (required) Other Dissemination Venues Products for downloading Social media The third section of your application must address leadership and outreach, which is another function within the center. You should be clear about who your target audience is, who you will be speaking to and what will be the key topics for each of the groups you will be speaking to. You may want to distinguish between national audiences which will include federal policymakers and national organizations. You should also want to discuss how you will address local audiences. On the issue of federal policymakers, we expect the center to play the role of providing fair, accurate and unbiased information to federal policymakers as well as federal lawmakers, some of whom may oppose the common core state standards and some of whom may advocate for those standards. The role of the center is going to be to provide accurate and unbiased information to any of those policymakers that request it.

Focused program of research must comprise at least 75% of the total budget Finally, before I conclude, I would like to give you the lay of the land in terms of the limits on time and funding. This center will be awarded for a project that will last no longer than five years. The maximum allowable expenditures for the center are $10 million. There will be a maximum of one award made during Fiscal Year 2015 and finally your focused program of research, the longitudinal outcomes study as well as the implementation study. Those focused programs of research most comprise at least 75% of the spending for this grant.

Research & Development Center on Virtual Learning
Good afternoon. This is Erin Higgins. My colleague Jonathan Levy and I will be presenting the Virtual Learning Research and Development center.

Virtual Learning Lab (VLL): Background
Many open questions: Whether education technologies lead to meaningful improvements in teaching and learning How “big data” can be used to improve teaching and learning Infrastructure is needed to: Support the analytic and instructional use of the data Store and share these data with others, and to mine data generated from the use of education technologies The Virtual Learning topic, which I will refer to as the Virtual Learning Lab or VLL for short, within the Education Research and Development Center competition is a reflection of the field’s excitement surrounding the potential for education technology, and specifically for online learning, and the big data they generate. Technological advances are rapidly changing education. For instance, online and blended learning strategies that combine digital and classroom instruction create new opportunities for teachers and students; Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and other digital interventions reach great numbers of users far beyond what is traditionally found in a single classroom; and education technology tools may allow researchers and practitioners to gather and analyze large amounts of data quickly and easily. Developers and researchers have partnered to create state-of-the-art education technologies that are being used by schools and districts across the country. To support such technologies, there is a growing set of online resources where instructors can locate, create, share, modify, review, and rate various digital materials. Many private and public funders, including the Institute, have made substantial investments in the development of a wide range of education technology tools and practices that can be deployed via these online platforms. The Institute’s investment in more than 100 individual research projects and two national Research and Development Centers on Instructional Technology reflects the diversity of education technologies currently available. Notwithstanding the promise of these technological advances, an open question is whether and how these education technologies and the ‘big data’ they generate can effectively improve teaching and learning. Secondly, still emerging and needing attention are the infrastructure to support the analytic and instructional use of these data, to store and share these data with others, and to mine data generated from the use of education technologies. ies.ed.gov

VLL: Broad Purpose Evaluate and improve instructional practices, content, and/or learning tools offered by one or more widely used online instructional delivery platforms Focus: Improving outcomes of students in K-12, particularly low- income and low-performing students One platform must be for K-12 students, but additional platforms can be for either K-12 or postsecondary students Address how large amounts of data generated within these platforms can be used to improve teaching and learning In response to the questions and challenges I just briefly highlighted, the Institute is holding a competition for a Virtual Learning Laboratory (Lab). The broad purposes of this Lab are to Use experimental methods to evaluate and improve the instructional practices, content, and/or learning tools offered by one or more widely used online instructional delivery platforms, with a particular focus on making improvements for low-income and low-performing students in K-12. Advance the field’s understanding of how the large amounts of data generated within online instructional delivery platforms may be used to address important research questions and improve teaching and learning. In addition, as specified in the RFA at the bottom of pg. 24, in order to be considered for the Virtual Learning Lab, you must identify at least one widely used online instructional delivery platform that will be used to conduct your research. This platform must be intended for use by students in an authentic K-12 education setting (e.g., schools and classrooms). If you include additional platforms in your research, they may be intended for use either by K-12 or with postsecondary students. ies.ed.gov

VLL: Broad Purpose Inform stakeholders about the use of "big data" for education research and practice Create a “hub” Offer workshops and other activities In addition, the Lab will provide leadership and outreach that will: Inform policymakers, practitioners, and other nontechnical audiences about big data for education research and practice. Create a “hub” where researchers, developers and practitioners will come together – both virtually and in person – to discuss research goals and methods related to online learning, review emerging research findings, and support new partnerships and collaborations. Build the field’s capacity to conduct well-designed studies of online learning and to use big data by offering workshops and other activities. ies.ed.gov

Definition of “Widely Used Online Instructional Delivery Platform”
The technological infrastructure used to: Deliver any of a number of education technologies, and Collect large amounts of information about students Platform(s) must be used across multiple states, in the majority of districts in a single state, or in the majority of schools in one or more large districts Before going any further, I would like to define one of the phrases I just used when describing the broad purpose of the VLL: “widely used online instructional delivery platform.” It is critical that applicants understand what is meant by this phrase, as having access to a widely used online instructional delivery platform is required in order to be responsive to this topic. The RFA defines the online instructional delivery platform as “The technological infrastructure used to deliver any of a number of education technologies, and collect large amounts of information about students, and includes, for example, learning management systems (e.g., Blackboard), intelligent tutors, state level virtual schools (e.g., Florida Virtual Schools), and MOOCs, among others.” In order to be considered widely used, platforms must be used across multiple states, in the majority of districts in a single state, or in the majority of schools in one or more large districts. ies.ed.gov

Definition of “Widely Used Online Instructional Delivery Platform”
The online instructional delivery platform(s) you choose may be used to provide any of the following: Online courses offered by a state, school district, or postsecondary institution Online courses with open enrollment (i.e., MOOCs) Online schools or certificate/degree programs Intelligent tutors Blended learning models (combine online/classroom instruction) Flipped models (instruction online and homework/other activities during class) To give you a sense of the kinds of online instructional delivery platforms you could choose to study, here are some examples of the kinds of technologies that this online instructional delivery platform could deliver to students: Online courses offered by a state, school district, or postsecondary institution and limited to their students. Online courses with open enrollment (i.e., MOOCs). Online schools or certificate/degree programs. Intelligent tutors. Blended learning models that combines online and classroom instruction. Flipped models in which students receive instruction online and use classroom time for homework or other activities. ies.ed.gov

Examples of Research Questions
How can online and blended learning be used to address the instructional needs of learners across the spectrum – typical, advanced, and struggling – more effectively? How can online instruction be designed and implemented to promote the learning and retention of material, not just in the short term, but also over longer school-relevant time periods? How can online courses be designed so that students are more likely to persist in and complete the instruction? How can online instruction be targeted and delivered to meet the needs of low-income students, and to reduce achievement gaps between higher- and lower-performing students? The RFA provides some examples of research questions that may be of general interest to the field. It may be that the most pertinent research questions have less to do with the effectiveness of online and blended learning relative to traditional, non-technological modes of instruction and more to do with understanding how to improve delivery so that more students derive greater benefit. Questions may include: How can online and blended learning be used to address the instructional needs of learners across the spectrum – typical, advanced, and struggling – more effectively? How can online instruction be designed and implemented to promote the learning and retention of material, not just in the short term, but also over longer school-relevant time periods? How can online courses be designed so that students are more likely to persist in and complete the instruction? How can online instruction be targeted and delivered to meet the needs of low-income students more effectively, and to reduce achievement gaps between higher- and lower-performing students? ies.ed.gov 50

Examples of Research Questions
What data, metadata, analytical tools, and models are most useful for understanding and improving student learning? How can "big data" be used to predict students’ performance and help them receive the instruction and services they need? What practices, protocols, and policies should researchers and Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) be attentive to as they strive to protect students’ privacy? Which research and academic skill sets are needed to effectively conduct this type of work, and what training can be employed so others can develop the necessary skills? Keep in mind that a second goal of the Focused Program of Research is to address how the data generated from the education technologies delivered through online platforms can be used to advance education research and practice. Examples of such research questions may include: What data, metadata, analytical tools, and models are most useful for understanding and improving student learning? How can big data be used to predict students’ performance and help them receive the instruction and services they need? What practices, protocols, and policies should researchers and Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) be attentive to as they strive to protect students’ privacy? Which research and academic skill sets are needed to effectively conduct this type of work, and what training can be employed so others can develop the necessary skills? ies.ed.gov

Important Partnerships
The Institute strongly encourages partnerships between: Researchers Platform developers Practitioners within states, school districts, and/or colleges and universities who use online instructional delivery platforms. Must attach letters of agreement from all the key partners in Appendix D In developing your ideas for the VLL, it is important that you keep in mind that the scope of this work is broad and likely requires an interdisciplinary skill set. To most effectively address the major goals of the VLL, the Institute strongly encourages applicants to propose partnerships between researchers, platform developers, and practitioners within states, school districts, and/or colleges and universities who use online instructional delivery platforms. For example, you may partner with a developer and a state or school district to implement and evaluate changes in a widely used online course, or to compare alternative approaches to using technology in a flipped classroom environment. These partnerships are intended to help the research team formulate plans that focus on critical issues and generate useful results. Importantly, the partnerships are also intended to ensure that researchers have access to the data needed for the research. In your application, you should identify the platform developers, states, school districts, and/or colleges and universities you intend to work with, and explain what factors you considered in choosing them (e.g., the size and academic needs of their student population, their commitment to technological innovation and continuous improvement research, etc.). You should also explain how the partnerships will operate and what roles platform developers and state and/or school district personnel will play in the Lab. In Appendix D, you must attach letters of agreement from all the key partners that describe their roles. ies.ed.gov

Project Narrative Requirements
Significance of the Focused Program of Research Research Plan for the Focused Program of Research Leadership & Outreach Activities Now that you have a good idea of what this VLL competition is all about, we will focus in on the specific project narrative requirements for the Virtual Learning topic. We will go over topic-specific requirements for the following sections: Significance of the Focused Program of Research Research Plan for the Focused Program of Research Leadership & Outreach Activities sections of the project narrative ies.ed.gov

Significance of the Focused Program of Research
Explain vision for the VLL Identify problems or issues that the VLL will address Review of research literature Provide data to support your argument (if possible) Discuss significance of studies proposed in the Research Plan Explain how you will ensure generalizability of findings The Significance of the Focused Program of Research section of your project narrative is your opportunity to convey an overall vision for the Lab. You should explain your understanding of the issues and challenges the Lab is meant to address, and describe a coordinated set of research, leadership and outreach activities that you believe will provide the greatest benefit for the field. You should describe the specific problems or issues that the Lab will address in detail, and provide data, if possible, to support your argument that the problems or issues are significant. You should include a review of the research literature that will inform the Lab’s work, and make clear how the Lab will contribute to this base of knowledge. Remember that the goal of the Lab is to generate knowledge that will benefit more than a single education agency or developer/provider of online instruction, so you should make clear how the problems or issues you identify for the Lab will be of general interest to the field. I would also like to highlight here that the Institute is particularly interested in supporting projects that will help states and schools make better use of education technology to address the academic needs of low-income students and/or low-performing students. Finally, you should discuss the significance of the studies proposed in the Research Plan and explain how you will ensure generalizability of your studies’ findings. ies.ed.gov

Significance of the Focused Program of Research
Must identify at least ONE widely used online instructional delivery platform Platform must be intended for use by students in an authentic K-12 education setting Additional platforms may be intended for use either by K- 12 or with postsecondary students As already discussed, you must have access to at least one widely used online instructional delivery platform that will be used to conduct your research. This platform must be intended for use by students in an authentic K-12 education setting (e.g., schools and classrooms). If you include additional platforms in your research, they may be intended for use either by K-12 or with postsecondary students. You must identify this platform in your Significance of the Focused Program of Research section of the project narrative. In this section, you should also introduce and describe the platform (or platforms). You should describe the educational goals and objectives of the platform, and provide data on the number and characteristics of students who use it. You should also describe problems or issues with the instructional practices, content, and/or learning tools delivered through the platform that have been identified as needing improvement. As noted already, the goal of the Lab is to generate knowledge that will benefit more than a single education agency or developer/provider of online instruction, so you should make clear how findings generated within the context of the platform you identify will be of general interest to the field. My colleague, Jonathan Levy, will now discuss the remainder of the project narrative requirements for the Virtual Learning topic. ies.ed.gov

Overview of Remainder of Presentation
Components of the focused program of research Experimental studies (min = 2) Measurement studies (min = 1) "Big data" Leadership and outreach activities Good afternoon. This is Jonathan Levy. I begin my section with a slide showing the three general components of the remainder of the presentation. We’ll discuss 1) the focused program of research; 2) “big data”; and 3) Leadership and outreach activities ies.ed.gov

Focused program of research: Experimental Studies
At least TWO experimental studies More can be proposed, depending on their scope Focus Examination of strategies to improve instructional practices, content, and/or learning tools within online delivery platforms Particular concern Differentiation for individual learning needs Experimental studies are one component of the focused program of research. At least two should be proposed, although it is permissible to propose more, depending on their scope. The focus of the studies should be on testing various strategies to improve instructional practices, content, and/or learning tools within online delivery platforms. Of particular concern is understanding differentiation among various students. For example, what instructional practices, content, and/or learning tools work (or don’t) for various type of learners (e.g., those needing extra supports, those able to handle advanced concepts or faster pace, etc.). For all studies you propose, you should explain their significance, that is, why it is important to conduct them. ies.ed.gov

What can be studied experimentally?
Intervention that are… Fully developed? still in the development process? At least ONE study should be designed with the intention of improving an education technology that is in wide use We now discuss what can be studied experimentally. We note that it would be permissible to study a fully developed intervention, with an experimental design similar to the Institutes’ Goals 3 and 4 awards, namely, Efficacy and Effectiveness Trials, respectively. By “fully developed,” we mean an intervention that is ready as is to be deployed (or is already deployed) in the field, that is, without needing to undergo (a further) an improvement process. Applicants interested in pursuing this option should consult for additional details the Request for Applications, A, which can be found on at Please note that at least one study you propose should be designed with the intention of improving - - not just testing -- an education technology that is in wide use. In a later slide, we will reference more details concerning research plans for this type of experimentation. ies.ed.gov

What can be studied experimentally?
Affordances in a digital environment Easy, quick introduction and changes, based on findings Support of timely decision making Comparison study of different iterations or versions of the intervention The Institute is particularly interested in some of the Center’s work examining the special features of online learning in the design of its experiment(s). By this, the Institute refers, for example, to the ability -- both quickly and relatively easily -- to introduce changes in content, format, instructional delivery, etc., and studying their (possibly) varying effects. Small experiments may test various changes that are thought to affect students’ comprehension and retention, or increase students’ persistence and completion. Possible questions to entertain may be: How might log data be leveraged to gain insights on various malleable factors (e.g., instructional materials); how to provide information and supports to teachers and students; and how to increase the likelihood of desirable outcomes and minimize unwanted ones? Can the log data or some other automated source or practice provide timely feedback and promote insights on how students’ are responding to new material? Might covariates, say, from administrative data sets, be useful in leading to differential conclusions about students and how some may benefit from some versions while others may benefit from different ones. Whatever is proposed, the experiments should be designed to help inform technology developers and school officials on which changes to adopt, and to identify where new strategies may need to be developed and tested. One experimental plan may be first to conduct a number of small experiments, examining different parts of a particular intervention. Then, in a larger study, there could be a comparison between an earlier version of an online course on the one hand with a revised one, on the other hand, that incorporates the lessons learned from the smaller studies. ies.ed.gov

Measurement study (min = 1)
Goals Explore/create valid and reliable measures Determine which measures useful in differentiating student learning needs Identify mediating variables Examine strategies to prepare data for user-friendly consumption Measurement studies. Digital environments will create a lot of data. And just because the data are “big” does not necessarily mean that they are informative or useful. Some goals of your measurement study or studies of education technologies delivered through online platforms should be: to explore and/or create valid and reliable measures of student learning and other important outcomes; to determine which measures are useful, for example, in making predictions and recommendations concerning differentiation among students; to examine whether the data can be used to identify factors that mediate student learning or other outcomes; and to examine how the data might be displayed, visualized or otherwise made user-friendly by researchers and practitioners alike. ies.ed.gov

Research Plan: Experimental Studies
Purpose: To help education technology developers and education practitioners make improvements in the instructional practices, content, and/or learning tools they are using See enumerated list (RFA, p. 26) The purpose of the experimental studies is to help technology developers and education practitioners make improvements in the instructional practices, content, and/or learning tools they are using. You should explain your experimental approach for achieving this. Page 26 of the RFA has an enumerated list of details you should include in your research plan. The list is pretty straightforward, so we won’t discuss them here. But… ies.ed.gov

Research Plan: Data Collection
Describe… Sources of data Digital interactions Administrative records Surveys, Observations, and Interviews Methodology Sampling strategy Data collection plans Analytic approach Rationale for each choice …a few words about data collection. The Institute anticipates that the bulk of data collected will derive from the digital interactions in the online platform. However, other sources of data are acceptable, and possibly even helpful. These data may include: administrative records, surveys, observations, and interviews with students & teachers. The ultimate goal in using these data are should be to improve student outcomes. Whatever you propose, be certain to provide a rationale for the item and explain how it will support your study’s goals. Also, be clear about your methodology, such as your sampling strategy, data collection plans, and analytic approach. ies.ed.gov

Studying a fully developed technology
What are the critical questions? See enumerated list (RFA, p. 27) We mentioned earlier that it’s permissible to study an already fully developed intervention. Here we note that, should you choose to do this, you should be sure to explain how this study will address critical research questions posed by your partners (e.g., education agencies and tech developers). Again, an enumerated list of appropriate details can be found in the RFA, this time on page 27. ies.ed.gov

Research Plan: Measurement studies
Purpose: What is the study’s justification? See enumerated list (RFA, p. 27) Measurement studies. For each of the measurement studies you propose, you should offer a strong justification for conducting it. How will the results inform and advance the field? Your research plan should describe your proposed methodology, describing issues related to the sample of interest, validity and reliability of the measures, and psychometric evidence to support the claimed utility and the practical application of the measure(s). Please refer to page 27 of the RFA for an enumerated list. ies.ed.gov

Developing and validating NEW measures
Describe iterative process… Field testing procedures & processes for item revision Validation activities, including types of evidence to be used for reliability and validation for the specified purpose, populations, and contexts See Measurement Goal section in the RFA A If you’re interested in developing and validating new measures, you should provide a detailed description of the iterative development processes you will use. Be sure to include a detailed description of the activities you will undertake concerning reliability and validity of the assessments for the specified purpose, populations, and context. We suggest you refer to the Measurement Goal section in the RFA a. ies.ed.gov

Concerns with "big data" and education
Issues, concerns and implications on multiple levels Practical, Ethical, and Legal Confidentiality, protection of PII (personally identifiable information) from unauthorized disclosure Data access Who should have access to data? For which purposes? Sharing, linking Security rules and protocols There are many issues that need to be considered – and for which guidelines need to be provided – concerning data, insights, and identification at the student level. These issues exist at multiple levels, such as practical, ethical and legal. Here we consider a number of possible questions for consideration; the list is not meant to be exhaustive. How should the issue of confidentiality be handled? What new considerations ought to concern both researchers and school staff, including their respective Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), compared to more traditional (i.e., non-digital) research? How should permissions (e.g., informed consent) be obtained? What types of consent (e.g., assent) are appropriate for which activities? How should confidentiality be maintained? What data are appropriate to share and/or link, and with whom? Who is entitled to ownership of data, and how is this determined? How can unauthorized disclosures be prevented? What procedures should be followed if there is a breach? ies.ed.gov

Concerns with "big data" and education
Negative side-effects of labeling e.g., he’s a slow learner Unintended consequences While there is much excitement and optimism about the potential beneficial effects of “big data” in education, that is, with the creation of extensive student profiles, the Institute also recognizes that there are a number of issues that need to be thought of, thought through, and discussed both within and beyond the research community. One of the charges of the Center would be to identify relevant issues and concerns dealing with the use of data, linking of data, and actions and extrapolations with such inputs, such as, identifying particular needs of individuals and consequent outcomes. One example of a concern might be suggesting a student as needing additional supports. While such a decision may in fact benefit the student by his receiving helpful scaffolding, guidance, attention, and other supports, it might also be the case that there would be negative connotations, associations, and/or outcomes as a result. The Center is charged with contemplating possible unintended consequences that may result. Typically, the term “unintended consequences” carries a negative valence, but positive ones may also occur. The Center should give thought as to what these might be, and what steps, procedures, protocols, etc., should be incorporated to properly address these concerns. ies.ed.gov

Leadership & Outreach Activities
Role of the VLL: Function as a reliable source For Whom? Technical: Researchers & developers Broader audience: Teachers, administrators, policymakers, general audience One role of the Lab is to function as an objective, reliable source of information on virtual learning, and the uses of big data for education research & practice. The target audiences should include a broad range of interested parties, both those with a technical background and others with a more general interest. Possible audiences could include researchers, developers, practitioners, policy makers, and leaders of states, districts & schools. Whatever you propose in your application, be certain to clearly describe whom you will target for which activities and the strategies you will employ to engage and involve them. ies.ed.gov

Dissemination What: Publications, products
How: Describe efforts planned efforts at dissemination Website (at a minimum) Other new media (podcasts, video, webinars) that are relatively inexpensive yet can reach a large audience One of the expected activities of the Lab is to make available and accessible the publications, findings and products generated by Lab activities. They should be understandable to a broad range of audiences. You should describe the efforts you will undertake to accomplish this. At a minimum, the Institute expects the Lab to maintain a website that describes its goals and activities and makes its research reports, methodological tools, and other products readily accessible to the public. Additionally, the applicants should consider other media choices (such as videos, podcasts, webinars, etc.) that are relatively inexpensive yet can reach a large audience. ies.ed.gov

Hub for Training & Research (some ideas)
Researchers, developers, and practitioners will come together (virtually and in person) Discuss research goals and methods related to online learning Review emerging findings Foster new research partnerships and collaborations: (e.g., hosting non-Lab researchers, developers, etc., to work on Lab projects) Provide training and education: Host summer workshops, conduct courses for graduate students, non-Lab researchers, practitioners, and others One function of The Lab is that it will serve as a “hub” for training and research related to online learning. Not only should the Lab’s members work collaboratively with each other, but the Institute envisions the Lab (i.e., its members) working with a variety of participants outside of the Lab, such as other researchers & developers; teachers; leaders of schools & districts; policy makers; and others who have an interest in the topic. As for working with researchers and developers who are outside of the Lab, the Institute envisions the Lab discussing various topics related to online learning, such as research goals, topics, methods, emerging findings, etc., and possibly forming partnerships with these people on Lab-related projects. Other possible functions could be in facilitating partnerships, collaborations, and other joint efforts by disparate parties to work together. As for training activities, the Institute envisions the Lab taking a leading role in educating and training others in related techniques, discussion of issues, and other relevant topics. Such efforts could be in the form of extending visiting positions in the Lab, hosting workshops (e.g., over the summer, at a research conference), providing online courses and training materials, etc. Another function the Institute envisions the Lab conducting is demonstrating to state and school district leaders the advances in education technologies and related methodologies. The Institute is not prescribing any particular set of activities and suggests applicants propose their own ideas. ies.ed.gov

Hub for Training & Research (some ideas)
Organizing visits by state or school district leaders to demonstrate how education technologies are being used, improved, and having an effect Your suggestion(s) here: ______ Another function the Institute envisions the Lab conducting is demonstrating the advances in education technologies and related methodologies to leaders of state and school districts. The Institute is not prescribing any particular set of activities and suggests applicants propose their own ideas. ies.ed.gov

Focused program of research must comprise at least 75% of the total budget The maximum duration allowable by the RFA is five years and the maximum dollar amount both direct and indirect total cost is $10 million. There will be made a maximum of one award and we note that the focused program of research must comprise at least 75% of the budget.

General Requirements Now that we have gone through each of the topics and their specific requirements, we will shift back to some additional general requirements as well as a discussion of what happens after you submit your application.

Additional Sections of the Research Narrative for All Centers
In your 35-page Research Narrative, you are to discuss Significance Research Plan for the Focused Program of Research Other Center Activities (Leadership and Outreach) Management and Institutional Resources Personnel We’ve discussed the first three and now we’ll move to the last two Your 35-page project narrative includes five sections: Significance, Research Plan for the Focused Program of Research, Other Center Activities, Management and Institutional Resources, and Personnel. When discussing the requirements of each topic, program officers highlighted three of the five required sections. We will now discuss the final two, Management and Institutional Resources and Personnel.

General Requirements: Management & Institutional Resources
Describe plans and procedures for overall management of the Center and its activities Show capacity of supplemental activities and leadership and outreach If plan is to work in schools or other education delivery settings in first year, must include letter of agreement from education organization(s) If developer/distributer of program or intervention is part of Center, describe role and how objectivity will be maintained For the Management and Institutional Resources section, you should: Describe plans and procedures for overall management of the Center and its activities. Show capacity of supplemental activities and leadership and outreach. If plan is to work in schools or other education delivery settings in first year, you must include letter of agreement from education organization(s). If the developer/distributer of program or intervention is part of Center, describe their role and how objectivity will be maintained.

General Requirements: Personnel
Expertise in content area(s) Methodological expertise Sufficient experience working with education delivery settings Capacity for supplemental activities Experience relevant to national leadership Explain why proposed Center staff is qualified to fulfill leadership role For the Personnel section, you should describe: Your team’s expertise in content area(s) and your team’s methodological expertise. In addition, you should display sufficient experience working with education delivery settings You should demonstrate your capacity to conduct supplemental activities. Lastly, you should discuss your team’s experience relevant to national leadership and outreach. This should include explaining why the proposed Center staff is qualified to fulfill the leadership role.

Letter of Intent Due Date Application Package Posted
Important Dates and Deadlines Application Deadline Letter of Intent Due Date Application Package Posted Start Dates August 7, 2014 4:30:00 PM DC Time June 5, 2014 July 1, 2015 to Sept 1, 2015 Here are the important dates and deadlines. Applications are due August 7, 2014, 4:30:00pm DC Time. Please note that the Institute does not accept late applications. Note: LOI submission date passed but you can still apply. If you did not submit an LOI, please send an describing your idea to the program officer in order to receive comments.

Peer Review Process Applications are reviewed for compliance and responsiveness to the RFA Applications that are compliant and responsive are assigned to a review panel Two or three panel members conduct a primary review of each application Most competitive applications move to full panel At panel meeting, the most competitive applications are reviewed by full panel After you submit your application, our Standards and Review Office begins the peer review process. Applications are reviewed for compliance and responsiveness to the RFA. Those applications that are compliant and responsive are assigned to a review panel where two or three panel members conduct a primary review of each application. The most competitive applications move to full panel. At the panel meeting, the most competitive applications are reviewed by the full panel.

Notification All applicants will receive notification that the following information is available via the Applicant Notification System (ANS): Status of award Reviewer summary statement If you are not granted an award the first time, consider resubmitting and talking with your program officer After the peer review process is complete and decisions are finalized, applicants will receive notification that the status of the award and the reviewer summary statement are available via the Applicant Notification System. If you are not granted an award the first time, consider resubmitting and talking with your program officer.

Questions? Knowledge Utilization Becky McGill-Wilkinson Standards in Schools James Benson Virtual Learning Jonathan Levy Erin Higgins Here are the program officers overseeing these Centers. Please feel free to contact them to discuss your specific research ideas and ask questions about the RFA or the application process. This concludes today’s webinar – the Overview of the Education Research & Development Centers Competition, part of the Research Funding Opportunities Webinar Series. Thank you and have a wonderful day.

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