National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance

National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance
Name	National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance
Type	Federal agency office
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Formed	2002
Parent organization	U.S. Department of Education

National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance is an office within the U.S. Department of Education tasked with coordinating large-scale program evaluation, regional technical assistance, and rigorous educational research to inform federal and state policy. The office operates national evaluation studies, manages the What Works Clearinghouse, and oversees regional laboratories and technical assistance centers that serve states and local education agencies. It serves as a bridge among federal entities like the Institute of Education Sciences, state departments such as the California Department of Education and Texas Education Agency, and research organizations including RAND Corporation, American Institutes for Research, and Abt Associates.

Overview

The center oversees national evaluation initiatives, synthesis efforts, and dissemination activities that target programs funded under statutes such as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Higher Education Act of 1965. It administers evidence-standards aligned with bodies like the What Works Clearinghouse and collaborates with research funders including the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health on cross-sector studies. Primary audiences include policymakers in the U.S. Congress, state chief state school officers like those in the Council of Chief State School Officers, district superintendents such as those from the New York City Department of Education or Chicago Public Schools, and scholars at institutions like Harvard University, Stanford University, University of Michigan, and Columbia University.

History and Establishment

The center was established as part of a reorganization of federal research and evaluation functions following the creation of the Institute of Education Sciences in the aftermath of policy debates that involved legislators from the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. Its formation was influenced by earlier evaluation traditions exemplified by reports from the Government Accountability Office and reviews conducted by the National Academy of Sciences. Early collaborations linked to agencies and programs such as the Head Start program, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the No Child Left Behind Act. Contractors and partners over time have included Westat, SRI International, Urban Institute, and university research centers like the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory-affiliated groups.

Organizational Structure and Programs

The center is organized into divisions that manage national evaluations, technical assistance, and the What Works Clearinghouse. Leadership interacts with the Secretary of Education, the U.S. Secretary of Education, and the directorate of the Institute of Education Sciences. Programs administered include randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies of interventions such as literacy initiatives used in Baltimore City Public Schools and mathematics pilots in districts like Los Angeles Unified School District. The center funds and contracts with regional entities including the Regional Educational Laboratories and operates cooperative agreements with organizations such as the Council of the Great City Schools and professional associations like the American Educational Research Association.

Evaluation and Research Activities

The center conducts large-scale evaluations using methodologies promulgated by standards from the What Works Clearinghouse, randomized designs employed in trials akin to those sponsored by Abt Associates or RAND Corporation, and implementation studies paralleling work by American Institutes for Research. Its portfolio has included program evaluations of early childhood interventions linked to Perry Preschool Project-style questions, K–12 curriculum studies comparable to analyses at Northwestern University and University of Chicago, and college completion research resonant with studies by Lumina Foundation and Institute for Higher Education Policy. Results are disseminated through reports that inform committees in the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and hearings in the United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Regional Educational Laboratories and Technical Assistance

The center manages the network of Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs) that provide research-practice partnerships across regions such as the Mid-Atlantic, Southwest, Midwest, and Pacific. RELs collaborate with state agencies like the Florida Department of Education and local consortia including the Massachusetts Consortium for Innovative Education Assessment to translate evidence into practice. Technical assistance centers funded through competitive awards address topics ranging from special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to English learner supports relevant to districts like Houston Independent School District and Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Partner organizations often include ETS, Johns Hopkins University, Vanderbilt University, and regional universities.

Impact, Criticism, and Controversies

The center’s work has influenced policy decisions tied to reauthorizations of statutes like the Every Student Succeeds Act and program funding allocations reviewed by the Congressional Budget Office. Advocates at organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and critics from think tanks like the Heritage Foundation and Urban Institute have debated the center’s methodological standards, priorities, and use of randomized controlled trials versus observational designs favored by some researchers at Brookings Institution and National Bureau of Economic Research. Controversies have included disputes over report transparency involving contractors like Westat and questions of federal versus state control raised in filings before the Supreme Court of the United States and discussions in the Federal Register.

Category:United States Department of Education agencies Category:Education research organizations