ies.ed.gov

Connecting Research,Policy and Practice

Researcher-Practitioner Partnerships in Education Research

(84.305H)

Allen Ruby, Ph.D.National Center for Education Research

Jacquelyn Buckley, Ph.D.National Center for Special Education Research

ies.ed.gov

Overview

• Overview of IES and its mission• General Requirements• Specifics– Purpose – The project narrative

• Significance• Partnership• Research Plan• Personnel• Resources

• Other important sections of the application• Preparing and submitting an application 2

ies.ed.gov

Legislative Mission of IES

• Describe the condition and progress of education in the United States

• Identify education practices that improve academic achievement and access to education opportunities

• Evaluate the effectiveness of Federal and other education programs

3

ies.ed.gov 4

Organizational Structure of IES

4

National Board for Education

SciencesStandards &

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

ies.ed.gov

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

5

ies.ed.gov

Partnerships & IES Priorities

IES seeks to… • encourage education researchers to develop

partnerships with stakeholder groups to advance relevance of research and usability of its findings for day-to-day work of education practitioners and policymakers

• increase capacity of education policymakers and practitioners to use knowledge generated from high quality data analysis, research, and evaluation through a wide variety of communication and outreach strategies

(See http://ies.ed.gov/director/board/priorities.asp)

6

ies.ed.gov

Research-Practitioner Partnerships in Education Research

• Support new to established partnerships• Promote joint research by research institutions and SEAs

and/or LEAs– On education 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 initial

research activities 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– Continue practitioner input into research agenda

7

ies.ed.gov

General Requirements

• Focus on student education outcomes• Partnership between research institutions and

state education agencies (SEAs) or local education agencies (LEAs)

• Initial research on an education issue of high priority to the SEA/LEA

ies.ed.gov

Focus on Student Education Outcomes

• IES funds research to improve the quality of education for all students through advancing the understanding of and practices for teaching, learning, and organizing education systems

• All research must address education outcomes of students– Academic outcomes– Social and behavioral competencies that support

student success in school

9

ies.ed.gov

Student Population

• Students from prekindergarten through postsecondary and adult education– Typically developing students – Students with disabilities or at risk for disabilities• Specific requirements for identifying students at risk for

disabilities status • see http://ies.ed.gov/ncser/definition.asp

10

ies.ed.gov

Ultimate Outcomes of Interest: Student Outcomes

Grade OutcomePrekindergarten 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, writing, mathematics, and science; progress through the education system (e.g., course and grade completion or retention, high school graduation, and dropout); social and behavioral competencies important to academic and post-academic success.

11

ies.ed.gov

Ultimate Outcomes of Interest: Student Outcomes

Grade OutcomePostsecondary(Grades 13 – 16)

Access to, persistence in, progress through, and completion of postsecondary education; for students in developmental programs, additional outcomes include achievement in reading, writing, English language proficiency, and mathematics; success in gateway math and science courses, introductory English composition

Adult Education(Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, Adult ESL, and HS equivalency preparation)

Student achievement in reading, writing, English language proficiency, and mathematics; access to, persistence in, progress through, and completion of adult education programs

12

ies.ed.gov

Applications must be from a Partnership

• Applications must include at least one Principal Investigator (PI) from a research institution and at least one PI from a U.S. state or local education agency– PI from research institution: Must have the ability and

capacity to conduct scientifically valid research and expertise in the education issue to be addressed

– PI from State or local education agency: Must have decision-making authority for the issue within his or her agency

13

ies.ed.gov

Partnership

• Partnership may be new or existing• Research institution has a broad definition– Ability and capacity to conduct scientifically valid research

14

ies.ed.gov

Partnership: SEAs

• State education agencies – Examples: education agencies, departments, boards,

commissions – Oversee early learning, elementary, secondary, and/or

postsecondary and adult education– Also includes education agencies in District of Columbia,

the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and each of the outlying areas.

ies.ed.gov

Partnership: LEAs

• Local education agencies which are primarily public school districts

• Community college districts• Tribal education agencies• State and city postsecondary systems

– If there is a state or city higher education agency that oversees the postsecondary system, include them as an agency partner

– If there is no state or city education agency that oversees the postsecondary system, the system can apply as the sole agency partner

– A postsecondary system that applies as an education agency partner cannot also serve as the research institution partner in the same project

16

ies.ed.gov

Additional Partners

• Partnerships may include more than one State or local education agency if they share similarities and interests

• Non-education state and local agencies may be partners as long as an education agency is a partner

• Partnerships may include more than one research institution if they have shared interests and will make unique contributions

• Partnerships may include other non-research organizations (e.g., issue-oriented or stakeholder groups) that will contribute to the partnership and its work

17

ies.ed.gov

Initial Research

• Address an education issue with important implications for improving student achievement that is of high priority to the education agency

• Lead to a plan for further research on the issue

• Increase the education agency’s capacity to take part in research and use research results

18

ies.ed.gov

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 (Exploration, Development, Efficacy, Measurement)

• Not appropriate if the education agency does not wish to be a full partner

ies.ed.gov

Research Partnership: Purpose

• Support partnerships of research institutions and state or local education agencies – Identify an education issue or problem of high priority for the

education agency– The education issue has important implications for improving

student education outcomes • Carry out initial research on the education issue• Develop a plan for future research on the education

issue • Increase the education agency’s capacity for taking part

in research and using research results

ies.ed.gov

Expected Products of the Grants

1. A description of the partnership as developed over the grant2. A description of the education issue addressed by the partners3. Findings from the completed initial research4. A plan for the partnership to carry out future research5. A description of the agency capacity-building activities6. Recommendations for how the partnership could be maintained

over the longer term7. Lessons learned from developing the partnership that could be

used by others in forming such partnerships

21

ies.ed.gov

The Project Narrative

•Significance•Partnership •Research Plan•Personnel•Resources

22

ies.ed.gov

Significance

• Justify the importance of the partnership’s proposed work

23

ies.ed.gov

Significance

• Clearly describe the education issue – Link it to specific student outcomes (theoretically and empirically)

• Justify its importance to the SEA/LEA – Identify what the education agency hopes to learn

• Identify how the knowledge to be obtained from the research would be useful to the agency’s practice– Describe specific decisions the agency needs to make

• The general importance of the issue (secondary importance)– Education agencies not involved in the partnership– The field of education research

24

ies.ed.gov

The Project Narrative

•Significance•Partnership •Research Plan•Personnel•Resources

25

ies.ed.gov

Describe the Partnership

• Describe the partners– The research institution and the education agency – Other members of the partnership– Stage of the partnership – influence on project– The process through which the partners decided to propose a

Researcher-Practitioner project– How the research questions 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

ies.ed.gov

Partnership Development Plan

• Partnership’s decision-making process• Improving the education agency’s capacity to

participate in and use education research– Identify the agency’s interests in capacity building– The agency’s specific understanding of the proposed

research design and the validity and generalization 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

27

ies.ed.gov

Tracking the Partnership

• Monitoring the success of the partnership– During the project– After the project: opportunities for the partnership to

continue and for the agency to be more able to participate in and use research

• Open to field generated measures

28

ies.ed.gov

The Project Narrative

•Significance•Partnership •Research Plan•Personnel•Resources

29

ies.ed.gov

Research Plan

• The plan for carrying out the initial research • The plan for preparing for the future research

that is to occur following the project

30

ies.ed.gov

Initial Research

• Objectives of the research– Answer the research questions– Contribute to the understanding of the education issue – Provide useful information to the education agency

• Specifics– Sample– Setting– Measures (including student education outcomes)– Research Design– Data Analyses

ies.ed.gov

Framing the Initial Research

• Working forwards – what do we need to know about the education issue to make decisions

• Work backwards from future research – what would need to be done now to support a future:– Exploration project– Development and Innovation project– Evaluation project (Efficacy/Replication, State/Local)– Measurement project

ies.ed.gov

Initial Research Methods

• Quantitative Descriptive and Exploratory Data Analysis– Primary data: collection and analysis– Secondary data: merging and analysis– Combination of both

• Supplemented with qualitative analysis– Case studies, interviews, focus groups

33

ies.ed.gov

Plan for Future Research

• Describe the development process for the future research based on the results of the initial research– How the partnership will determine the future research plan– How the initial research is required before the future

research could be proposed

34

ies.ed.gov

The Project Narrative

•Significance•Partnership •Research Plan•Personnel•Resources

35

ies.ed.gov

Personnel

• Identify all key personnel on the project team – Roles and responsibilities on the project– Qualifications (i.e., expertise and experience) to carry out the roles

and responsibilities– % FTE on the project (one key person should have enough time to

maintain progress of project)– Past success at working in similar partnerships

• PI qualifications for managing a grant of this size and type• The PI may be from either the research institution or the education

agency, but there must also be a Co-PI from the other partners.• The PI or Co-PI from the education agency must have decision-making

authority for the issue being examined

36

ies.ed.gov

Resources

• Describe the institutional resources of all the institutions involved in the partnership and how these resources will contribute to building the partnership and to the research– Institutional capacity to manage the grant– Resources available at the partner institutions that

will be used– Plans to acquire any major resources not yet in hand– Joint Letter 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., Letters of Agreement in Appendix D

• If secondary data is being analyzed…– The organization holding those data should document their

willingness to provide the data– E.g., Letters of Agreement in Appendix D

• If district/school staff are taking part…– E.g., through surveys, observations, logs– Discuss how their cooperation will be obtained (e.g., use of

incentives) and their current knowledge of the project

ies.ed.gov

Resources: Dissemination of Results

• Research Partnership projects are likely identify fruitful areas for further research attention and lessons on how to build research

• Describe your capacity to disseminate findings• Identify all your audiences and how you will

disseminate the results to them– The SEA/LEA (through an ongoing process)– Other education agencies, policymakers, and practitioners– The research community– The public

ies.ed.gov

Other Important Sections of the Application

• Appendix A• Appendix B• Appendix C• Appendix D• Budget and Budget Narrative

40

ies.ed.gov

Appendix A

Page Limit: 3• If you are resubmitting an application, use up to 3

pages to discuss how you responded to reviewer comments

41

ies.ed.gov

Appendix B

Page Limit: 15• Figures, charts, or tables that supplement the project

narrative• Timelines for the project• Examples of measures to be used – (e.g., tests, surveys, observation and interview protocols)

• Do not include narrative text

ies.ed.gov

Appendix C

Page Limit: 10• If you are proposing to study a practice, program,

policy or assessment, you may include examples of materials used, e.g.,– curriculum material– teacher observation protocol– computer screen shots– assessment items– other materials

43

ies.ed.gov

Appendix D

No Page Limit• Letters of Agreement from all the research partners– Joint Letter from key partners– Separate Letters from other organizations involved– Letters should clearly state the organization’s expected role in

the partnership and their commitments to the project– Similar letters from any consultants and schools taking part– Letters from holders of data should make clear that the data

described in the application will be provided for the proposed use by the project

44

ies.ed.gov

Budget & Budget Narrative

• The maximum project length is 2 years• The maximum award is $400,000 – The maximum annual award is $200,000– The size of the award depends on the scope of the

project• Include a detailed budget form (SF 424) AND a

narrative that links the activities and personnel described in the Project Narrative to the funds requested

45

ies.ed.gov

Application Deadline

Letter of Intent Due

Date

Application Package Posted

Start Dates

August 6, 2015

4:30:00 PM DC Time

May 21, 2015 May 21, 2015 July 1, 2016to

Sept 1, 2016

Important Dates and Deadlines

46

ies.ed.gov

Information Sources

• Request for Applications– http://ies.ed.gov/funding/

• Abstracts of Projects– http://ies.ed.gov/funding/grantsearch/index.asp

• Letter of Intent– https://iesreview.ed.gov/index.cfm

• Application Package– www.grants.gov

• Program Officer– Allen.Ruby@ed.gov

47

ies.ed.gov

Peer Review(Standards & Review Office)

• Compliance screening for format requirements• Responsiveness screening for program requirements• Assigned to review panel– 2-3 reviewers (substantive and methodological)– If scored high enough, application 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

48

ies.ed.gov

Notification

• All applicants will receive e-mail 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

49

ies.ed.gov

For More Information

http://ies.ed.gov/funding

Allen RubyAllen.Ruby@ed.gov

50