Office of Educational Research and Improvement Act. Report To Accompany S. 1275. Senate, 102d Congress, 2d Session.

This report from the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources communicates the committee's approval of S. 1275 (which reauthorizes the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) through fiscal year 1999), suggests an amendment, and advocates the passage of the bill as amended. The central objective of the reauthorization bill is emphasized, i.e., to insure that what is learned from research has direct benefit upon classroom practice and learning, and it is noted that the heart of the bill lies in creating and strengthening the systems and the tools whereby research is adapted to address specific school and teaching challenges. This bill delineates for the first time the authority, responsibilities and functions of the OERI; clarifies its scope and mission; specifies what is within the OERI's discretionary authority; creates five new directorates to advance new, innovative, and even controversial educational ideas, concepts, and programs; creates a Distinguished Board of Governors to review the research agenda and operation of the OERI; creates a new Office of Dissemination; and redefines the mission of the educational research laboratories to bring proven practices into the classrooms. In addition this bill creates a new Teacher Dissemination Training Network to provide teachers with professional development in research; a National Council on Standards and Assessment; the Office of Educational Technology; two new discretionary grant programs to support the development of technology assisted instruction; a new educational exchange program designed to assist the nations of Central Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States; a program to address the inadequacy of science equipment in many elementary schools; and the Parents as Teachers Program. This report includes a review of legislative consideration and votes in committee, discussions of the need for legislation, an overview, and the provisions of the bill; a regulatory impact statement; a cost estimate; a section-by-section analysis; and line-by-line notations of changes in existing law. (ALF)