About IES: Organization

Goals: There are two primary Institute goals. The first goal is to promote greater involvement of the School's faculty and students in the study and shaping of public policy related to education and human development. In doing so, the Institute seeks to raise the quality of public debate about critical social issues of our time and contribute to their resolution. The second and equally important goal is to stimulate and encourage research, demonstration projects, and other initiatives that are designed to improve and enhance professional practice.

Objectives:

There is a set of key objectives that articulate the mission of the Institute. These objectives include:

1. Increase GSEHD's output of high quality policy research, development, and dissemination activities related to education and human development;

2. Promote collaborative cross-department policy research and development activities involving the faculty and graduate students in the School;
3. Encourage cross-disciplinary policy research and development initiatives involving GSEHD faculty and faculty from other schools and administrative units within the University;
4. Expand opportunities for professional collaboration between GSEHD faculty and education and human development professionals and leaders in the local, regional, and national arenas;
5. Enhance the efforts of faculty to increase the resources available to support their research and dissemination efforts;
6. Expand the number of internships, fellowships, and other opportunities for graduate students to obtain on-the-job practical experience participating in policy related research and development activities;
7. Increase the resources available for financial aid for GSEHD graduate students; and,
8. Assess the feasibility of various research areas becoming the focus of more concerted efforts, i.e., the creation of new Centers within the School.

Focus:

Five key themes organize the research and dissemination efforts within the Institute.

1. Improving education policy making via better information;

2. Analyzing educational diversity and its policy implications, especially for language minority students, students with disabilities, and students from low-income and minority groups;
3. Assessing the implications of educational standards and assessments for a diverse student population;
4. Developing teacher education and professional development models that will contribute to school reform; and,
5. Identifying effective program models for reducing school violence.

Functions:

The Institute is "value added" to the School and to the University because:

1. it identifies for faculty and graduate students the emergent areas of education policy research;

2. it coordinates and provides administrative oversight for the activities of a number of individual centers and clearinghouses;
3. it actively supports research development and proposals among faculty and graduate students;
4. it links faculty and graduate students to the larger education policy communities;
5. it is the liaison between the departments of GSEHD and the multiple activities of the Institute and Centers; and,
6. it creates a visible presence for the education policy research efforts of the School in the education community.