The Institute of Education Sciences, created as part of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, is the primary research arm of the United States Department of Education. It is the successor to the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI). The first director of IES was Grover Whitehurst, appointed in November 2002. The current director of IES is John Q. Easton, appointed in June 2009.
IES is divided into four major research and statistics centers:
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) - conducts the National Assessment of Educational Progress (known as The Nation's Report Card).
- National Center for Education Research (NCER)
- National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE) - operates the National Library of Education and the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC).
- National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER)
Famous quotes containing the words institute, education and/or sciences:
“Whenever any form of government shall become destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, & to institute new government, laying it’s foundation on such principles & organising it’s powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety & happiness.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
“Infants and young children are not just sitting twiddling their thumbs, waiting for their parents to teach them to read and do math. They are expending a vast amount of time and effort in exploring and understanding their immediate world. Healthy education supports and encourages this spontaneous learning.”
—David Elkind (20th century)
“The sciences have ever been the surest guides to virtue.”
—Frances Wright (1795–1852)