New mid-Atlantic education research laboratory to help schools improve learning
Archived article from Apr 10, 2006
By Sandra Lanman
The latest research and training in proven practices in education will be readily available to schools in the mid-Atlantic region through a new public-private partnership funded by a five-year, $29.5 million federal contract awarded to Pennsylvania State University and Rutgers, and three educational and research consulting firms.
The contract, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, supports the operation of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Educational Laboratory serving New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
The laboratory’s key public partners are the graduate schools of education at Rutgers and Penn State. Private partners are the consulting firms Caliber Associates of Washington, D.C., the Metiri Group of California and Analytica. Penn State is the fiscal manager for the contract; Rutgers’ share is $6.14 million over the five-year period.
The Mid-Atlantic Regional Educational Laboratory is one of 10 federally funded laboratories that support teachers, administrators, parents, and local and state education agencies in improving teaching and learning.
The collaboration offers geographic support and technical assistance in the region. Rutgers will serve New Jersey and Delaware; Penn State will cover all of Pennsylvania; and Caliber Associates will cover Maryland and the District of Columbia.
“This regional lab contract will focus and strengthen the work of Rutgers’ Graduate School of Education in responding to real needs by applying appropriate research in schools and classrooms,” said Richard De Lisi, dean of Rutgers’ Graduate School of Education.
The lab will field a team of specialists who will gather information from teachers and administrators and relay their priorities and needs to the researchers. The team will summarize existing research in areas identified by schools and provide information and training in proven, research-based strategies and approaches to improve educational outcomes.
The lab also will conduct large-scale studies on promising learning practices. Lesley M. Morrow, Melanie Kuhn, Jennifer Roswell and Saundra Tomlinson-Clarke are among the Rutgers faculty members who will lead research studies designed to benefit students and teachers in the region. Claudia Burzichelli, executive director of GSE’s Center for Effective School Practices, will lead the lab’s technical assistance function and manage the Rutgers contract. William Librera, director of the Rutgers Institute for Improving Student Achievement, will manage the rapid response research portion of the contract.
Return to the Apr 10, 2006 issue
|
