IES Newsletter—January 2011

January 2011

IES Small Business Innovation Research Gives Students Access to Virtual Physics Labs

An IES grantee is working to bring a "virtual" laboratory experience to students in introductory college-level physics courses, which is especially important for those taking these courses online or at schools that cannot afford the expense of real laboratory equipment. » read more

Staff News

Jack Buckley Returns as New Commissioner of NCES

With a call for greater timeliness and continued innovation in data collection, new National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Commissioner Sean P. "Jack" Buckley announced his key goals during events shortly after this appointment.

Buckley said he wants to build on NCES' reputation for integrity and technical rigor, while still working to improve the relevance of its work. Surveys and data programs must adapt to anticipate emerging educational issues and to meet the needs of policymakers and the public, he said.

» read more

Teacher Education Expert Ball Leads Discussion on Quality Teaching

Deborah Loewenberg Ball discussed with IES staff and guests the benefits of focusing on teacher training as a means to produce "responsible" teachers. » read more

NCSER Training in Single-Case Methodology

NCSER is sponsoring a summer training institute on single-case intervention studies with scientifically credible methodology and analyses. » read more

Transforming Schools and State Capacity

NCEE awards 5-year evaluation contract that seeks to understand how states and districts are transforming their lowest performing schools and which strategies appear to be the most effective.» read more

NAEP Website Redesigned

The NAEP website has been redesigned and streamlined to make it easier than ever for students, parents, teachers, researchers, and the schools selected for assessments to find information about NAEP. » read more