Research Bill, After Stall, Sails to Passage

By Joetta L. Sack

Washington

A compromise measure to restructure the Department of Education's research programs sailed uncontested through the House and the Senate last week. The bill calls for creation of a new research institute that supporters say would help improve the quality of federally financed education analysis.

Thought to be a dead issue only a few months ago, the legislation reconfiguring the department's office of educational research and improvement is expected to win President Bush's signature as well. It's the only major education bill passed this year, during a time when national security and the economy dominate lawmakers' concerns.

Under the final version of the measure, the OERI, now funded at $444 million, would become the "Academy of Education Sciences," a more autonomous agency. Three separate centers—for research, evaluation, and statistics—would be included under the academy. Rather than being headed by an assistant secretary, as is the case now with the OERI, the institute would instead have a director, appointed by the president for a six-year term, and a board of directors. ( "Senate Panel Passes Federal Research Bill," ...