On June 13, the Alliance for Learning Innovation hosted a standing-room-only congressional briefing on the need to bolster our nation’s federally-supported education research and development (R&D) infrastructure to better address big challenges, such as illiteracy, chronic absenteeism, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence.
The Alliance for Learning Innovation: Unveiling a Bold Vision for 2024 and Beyond
Dan Correa, the CEO of the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), opened the event cheering the Alliance for Learning Innovation’s education R&D advocacy accomplishments on its first anniversary while recognizing that the “need for new solutions and innovation in the K-12 system is more urgent than ever.” Sara Schapiro, FAS Senior Fellow and head of ALI, then detailed the coalition’s successful efforts to “start a movement to strengthen our nation’s investment and infrastructure in ed R&D that centers students and practitioners, improves talent pathways, and expands the workforce needed in a globally competitive world.”
Trailblazing Education Innovation: Transformative Power of R&D
The first panel highlighted bright spots in education research and implementation through the lens of Dr. Carey Wright, Maryland State Superintendent of Schools; Augustus Mays, Vice President for Partnerships and Engagement at The Education Trust; Dr. Brenda Allen, President of Lincoln University; and Richard Culatta, CEO of ISTE+ASCD. Key takeaways from the conversation include:
Research and development efforts must prioritize the needs of educators and students. To ensure that research is useful to students and educators, Richard Culatta stated, “We need a research agenda that drives a more thoughtful conversation and is co-created with educators.” Dr. Carey Wright’s leadership in implementing the science of reading in Mississippi and Maryland is a prime example of this agenda-setting in action. As she shared, “We had so many children who were reading far below grade level, and knowing what the research says about reading, we decided to take an approach backed by research.” Reinforced by her experiences as an educator and principal, Wright and her team have dramatically improved literacy rates in the states they have served.
U.S. education R&D infrastructure must prioritize a broader set of voices and perspectives. As Dr. Brenda Allen noted, “Who is included in research impacts the data that is examined and the conclusions that are reached; we need to make a better effort to engage not just people who are affected, but people who may have something to add to the conversation.” Research efforts that include a wider spectrum of institutions of higher education—including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs)—facilitate the development of solutions that meet the needs of all students, educators, and education leaders. Augustus Mays highlighted the need to include new groups that “may be missing” from the research creation process such as community-based organizations “that work day in and day out with schools, districts, and families.”
Education R&D must be timely and responsive to urgent needs. “The goal for research should not just be to publish in a peer-reviewed journal,” argued Culatta, “but making and demonstrating impact.” The federal government must provide the nation’s education R&D infrastructure with the flexibility to scale new interventions and best practices in a nimble and responsive way. Mays asked, “If we know a certain intervention or strategy is research-based, then how are we learning and iterating upon its implementation? It’s important that as we learn how to implement a certain solution, we are continuously thinking about what that means for students in different contexts.” A more nimble education R&D infrastructure, enabled by the creation of a new National Center for Advanced Development in Education (NCADE) within IES, would further allow for innovations to be adapted to differing environments across the country.
One Goal Across Agencies: IES and NSF Efforts to Improve Education R&D
The second panel welcomed federal agency leaders Dr. Matthew Soldner, Acting Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, and Dr. Erwin Gianchandani, Assistant Director for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships at the U.S. National Science Foundation, who discussed efforts to drive collaborative innovation in education.
The panelists emphasized the importance of robust and sustained investment in education R&D across agencies to enhance U.S. competitiveness and security. They shared examples of successful collaborations, such as the National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes, showcasing how these efforts translate research into meaningful classroom improvements and contribute to national prosperity. The discussion concluded with a forward-looking perspective on the future of education R&D with both leaders emphasizing the need to center learners and educators when developing and implementing education R&D.
As the event came to a close, panelists and attendees reflected on the success of education R&D in identifying, developing, and implementing innovative solutions and expressed hope for a more robust and cross-cutting education R&D infrastructure. The Alliance for Learning Innovation was honored to bring together over 100 education leaders and policymakers on its one-year anniversary and looks forward to bringing the discussions to life through action and advocacy.
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