Steinhardt Dean Brabeck Leads Capitol Hill Briefing on Research in Education

By Steve Heuer

Mary Brabeck, dean of the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, recently visited Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., to lead a briefing for congressional staff about the importance of educational research in developing highly qualified teachers. The briefing, titled “Teacher Quality: Research on the Science of Teaching and Learning,” was hosted by the Learning and Education Academic Research Network (LEARN) Coalition, a group of 17 deans from leading schools of education that advocate in support of federal investments into the scientific understanding of learning and human development.
    “Education in the United States has changed significantly in recent decades, but we still do not have the research to determine what makes an effective teacher,” said Brabeck. “Congress must boost investment in the educational science agencies in order to answer some basic questions about the science of learning. This is essential as we attempt to foster a highly educated workforce capable of competing in the integrated global economy.”
    Funding for the key educational research agencies has remained largely stagnant in recent years and pales in comparison to federal investments in traditional health and physical science research. Less than 1 percent of the entire Department of Education budget is currently spent on educational research.
    The presentation was directed at congressional staff that specialize in education policy.  Next year, Congress is expected to tackle two pieces of legislation, the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act and the reauthorization of the Institute for Education Sciences, that will focus on improving teacher quality and student learning outcomes.  From New York, staff members from the offices of Senator Hillary Clinton, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, Rep. Nydia Velazquez, Rep. Tim Bishop, and Rep. Eliot Engel attended the event.