Jack Reed: “I support the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002. This legislation reauthorizes and renames the current Office of…”

“I support the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002. This legislation reauthorizes and renames the current Office of Educational Research and Improvement at the Department of Education, now to be called the Institute of Education Sciences. The bill will increase the quality of educational research and statistics, improve dissemination, technical assistance, educational product development, evaluation, and other research efforts, and minimize the effect of politics on education research. As States begin to implement the No Child Left Behind Act, the need for a responsive, relevant, high quality, and rigorous education knowledge enterprise is greater than ever. Mr. President, I am particularly pleased about the bill's provisions to retain and strengthen the regional educational laboratories. The regional educational laboratories, like the Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Laboratory at Brown University, conduct applied research, develop educational products and materials, provide technical assistance, and disseminate information in order to improve teaching, increase student achievement, and promote effective school reform. The Education Sciences Reform Act enhances the regional educational laboratories work to put research into practice and focuses their efforts on helping states and districts meet their specific educational needs.”