Measure Seeks More E.D. Authority Over Research Agenda

By Lynn Schnaiberg

WASHINGTON--A Senate subcommittee last week approved legislation to reauthorize the office of educational research and improvement, adopting a bill that would give the Education Department more authority over the research agenda than its House counterpart would.

The political battle over who will control that agenda will ultimately be fought in a House-Senate conference where S 286 will be reconciled with HR 856, which was passed by the House on Aug. 2. (See Education Week, Aug. 4, 1993.)

Many observers believe the O.E.R.I.'s work has been overly influenced by the political whims of whatever...