National Center for Education Research Projects and Programs 2002 – 2006 i In 2002, we began with three research grant competitions – one focused on reading instruction, one on preschool curricula, and one on student learning from a cognitive science perspective. These competitions resulted in a total of 24 research grants. Since that auspicious beginning, the grant competitions sponsored by the National Center for Education Research have experienced tremendous growth. As of June 2006, we are supporting more than 200 grants that range from the development of a board game designed to improve preschool children's ability to estimate numerical magnitude – a skill that turns out to be related to arithmetic skill and conceptual understanding of computational procedures – to a large scale randomized field trial to evaluate the effects of school choice on student achievement. In addition to funding research on curriculum and instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, and science; teacher quality; education leadership; education policy, finance, and systems; high school reform; preschool curricula; social and character development interventions; student learning; and research methods, NCER currently supports 10 predoctoral research training programs in the education sciences, 10 postdoctoral training programs, and 10 National Research and Development Centers. I am proud of the work that is being accomplished by NCER researchers. This booklet is a compilation of all the research grants and contracts and the training grants that NCER has awarded since our first year. The projects listed here represent a new generation of education research – research that is rigorous, relevant, and intended to improve the quality of education in the United States. Lynn Okagaki Commissioner for Education Research ii National Center for Education Research Projects and Programs 2002 - 2006 Pages Cognition and Student Learning 1 Education Leadership 6 Education Policy, Finance, and Systems 7 High School Reform 8 Mathematics and Science Education 8 National Research and Development Centers 11 Postdoctoral Research Training Program 12 Predoctoral Research Training Program 13 Preschool Curriculum Evaluation Research 14 Reading and Writing 16 Social and Character Development 22 Teacher Quality: Mathematics and Science Education 23 Teacher Quality: Reading and Writing 24 Other Awards 28 iii COGNITION AND STUDENT LEARNING FY 2006 AWARDS (cid:131) Name of Institution: Carnegie Mellon University Principal Investigator: David Klahr Co-Principal Investigator: Junlei Li Goal: Development Title: Training in Experimental Design: Developing Scalable and Adaptive Computer-based Science Instruction (cid:131) Name of Institution: Research Foundation of The City University of New York Principal Investigator: Barry Zimmerman Co-Principal Investigators: Bert Flugman, John Hudesman Goal: Development Title: Enhancing Self-Reflection and Mathematics Achievement of At-risk Students at an Urban Technical College: A Self-regulated Learning Intervention (cid:131) Name of Institution: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York Principal Investigator: Janet Metcalfe Co-Principal Investigator: Lisa Son (Barnard College) Goal: Development Title: The Effect of Metacognition on Children's Control of Their Study and of Their Cognitive Processes (cid:131) Name of Institution: University of California, Los Angeles Principal Investigator: Philip Kellman Co-Principal Investigator: Christine Massey (University of Pennsylvania) Goal: Development Title: Integrating Conceptual Foundations in Mathematics through the Application of Principles of Perceptual Learning (cid:131) Name of Institution: University of Kentucky Research Foundation Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Lorch Goal: Development Title: Teaching the Logic of the Scientific Method in the FourthGrade (cid:131) Name of Institution: University of Washington Principal Investigator: Deborah McCutchen Goal: Development Title: Making Meaning: Morphological Processing and Its Contribution to Adolescent and Pre- Adolescent Literacy (cid:131) Name of Institution: University of Wisconsin - Madison Principal Investigator: Martha Alibali Co-Principal Investigators: Eric Knuth, Mitchell Nathan, R. Breckinridge Church (Northeastern Illinois University) Goal: Development Title: Does Visual Scaffolding Facilitate Students’ Mathematics Learning? Evidence From Early Algebra National Center for Education Research 1 Projects and Programs, 2002-2006 (cid:131) Name of Institution: Vanderbilt University Principal Investigator: Gautam Biswas Co-Principal Investigators: Kefyn Catley, Dan Schwartz (Stanford University) Goal: Development Title: A Learning by Teaching Approach to Help Students Develop Self-Regulatory Learning Skills in Middle School Science Classrooms (cid:131) Name of Institution: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Principal Investigator: Stephen Hooper Co-Principal Investigator: Nathan Vandergrift Goal: Efficacy Title: Attention, Memory, and Executive Functions in Written Language Expression in Elementary School Children (cid:131) Name of Institution: Washington University in St. Louis Principal Investigator: Henry Roediger, III Co-Principal Investigators: Mark McDaniel, Kathleen McDermott Goal: Efficacy Title: Test-Enhanced Learning in the Classroom FY 2005 AWARDS (cid:131) Name of Institution: Fordham University Principal Investigator: William Whitten Co-Principal Investigator: Mitchell Rabinowitz Goal: Development Title: Guided Cognition of Unsupervised Learning (cid:131) Name of Institution: Indiana University Principal Investigator: Robert Goldstone Co-Principal Investigator: Linda Smith Goal: Development Title: Grounded and Transferable Knowledge of Complex Systems Using Computer Simulations (cid:131) Name of Institution: Kent State University Principal Investigators: John Dunlosky, Katherine Rawson Goal: Development Title: Supporting Efficient and Durable Student Learning (cid:131) Name of Institution: Michigan State University Principal Investigator: Jon Star Co-Principal Investigator: Bethany Rittle-Johnson (Vanderbilt University) Goal: Development Title: Using Contrasting Examples to Support Procedural Flexibility and Conceptual Understanding in Mathematics (cid:131) Name of Institution: Northwestern University Principal Investigator: David Uttal Co-Principal Investigator: Judy DeLoache (University of Virginia) Goal: Development Title: Understanding and Facilitating Symbolic Learning National Center for Education Research 2 Projects and Programs, 2002-2006 (cid:131) Name of Institution: Ohio State University Principal Investigator: Andrew Heckler Goal: Development Title: Scientific Misconceptions: From Cognitive Underpinning to Educational Treatment (cid:131) Name of Institution: University of Chicago Principal Investigator: Sian Beilock Goal: Development Title: Improving the Assessment Capability of Standardized Tests: How High-Stakes Testing Environments Compromise Performance (cid:131) Name of Institution: University of Memphis Principal Investigator: Barry Gholson Co-Principal Investigators: Arthur Graesser, Wali Abdi Goal: Development Title: An Implementation of Vicarious Learning with Deep-Level Reasoning Questions in Middle School and High School Classrooms (cid:131) Name of Institution: University of Southern California Principal Investigator: Carole Beal Goal: Development Title: Dynamically Modifying the Learning Trajectories of Novices with Pedagogical Agents (cid:131) Name of Institution: Carnegie Mellon University Principal Investigator: Robert Siegler Goal: Efficacy Title: Improving Children's Pure Numerical Estimation (cid:131) Name of Institution: Duke University Principal Investigator: David Rabiner Goal: Efficacy Title: A Randomized Trial of Two Promising Interventions for Students with Attention Problems (cid:131) Name of Institution: Northern Illinois University Principal Investigator: M. Anne Britt Goal: Efficacy Title: Creating a Usable Environment to Teach Argument Comprehension and Production Skills FY 2004 AWARDS (cid:131) Name of Institution: Florida State University Principal Investigator: Carol Connor Co-Principal Investigator: Fred Morrison (University of Michigan) Goal: Development Title: Child Instruction Interactions in Early Reading: Examining Causal Effects of Individualized Instruction National Center for Education Research 3 Projects and Programs, 2002-2006 (cid:131) Name of Institution: University of California, San Diego Principal Investigator: Harold Pashler Goal: Development Title: Optimizing Resistance to Forgetting (cid:131) Name of Institution: University of Wisconsin - Madison Principal Investigator: Brian Bottge Goal: Development Title: Advancing the Math Skills of Low-Achieving Adolescents in Technology-Rich Learning Environments (cid:131) Name of Institution: Boston College Principal Investigator: Michael Russell Co-Principal Investigator: Joan Lucariello Goal: Measurement Title: Bridging the Gap: Applying Algebra Cognition Research to Develop and Validate Diagnostic Classroom Algebra Testlets FY 2003 AWARDS (cid:131) Name of Institution: Carnegie Mellon University Principal Investigator: John Anderson Goal: Development Title: The Neural Markers of Effective Learning (cid:131) Name of Institution: Carnegie Mellon University Principal Investigator: David Klahr Goal: Development Title: From Cognitive Models of Reasoning to Lesson Plans for Inquiry (cid:131) Name of Institution: Columbia University Principal Investigator: Janet Metcalfe Goal: Development Title: Study Enhancement Based on Principles of Cognitive Science (cid:131) Name of Institution: George Mason University Principal Investigator: Robert Pasnak Goal: Development Title: Increasing Learning By Promoting Early Abstract Thought (cid:131) Name of Institution: University of California, Los Angeles Principal Investigator: Keith Holyoak Goal: Development Title: A Multidisciplinary Study of Analogical Transfer in Children's Mathematical Learning (cid:131) Name of Institution: University of Illinois at Chicago Principal Investigator: Jennifer Wiley Co-Principal Investigator: Keith Thiede Goal: Development Title: Improving Monitoring Accuracy Improves Learning From Text National Center for Education Research 4 Projects and Programs, 2002-2006 (cid:131) Name of Institution: University of Maryland, College Park Principal Investigator: Thomas Wallsten Goal: Development Title: Computer-Assisted Instruction for Learning and Long-Term Retention Based on Recent Cognitive and Metacognitive Findings (cid:131) Name of Institution: University of Pittsburgh Principal Investigator: Erik Reichle Co-Principal Investigator: Jonathan Schooler (University of British Columbia) Goal: Development Title: Lapses in Meta-Cognition During Reading: Understanding Comprehension Failure (cid:131) Name of Institution: University of Wisconsin - Madison Principal Investigator: Arthur Glenberg Co-Principal Investigator: Joel Levin (University of Arizona) Goal: Development Title: Training Indexing To Enhance Meaning Extraction in Young Readers (cid:131) Name of Institution: Washington University in St. Louis Principal Investigator: Henry Roediger, III Co-Principal Investigators: Kathleen McDermott, Mark McDaniel Goal: Development Title: Test-Enhanced Learning (cid:131) Name of Institution: Yale University Principal Investigator: Robert Sternberg Co-Principal Investigator: Linda Jarvin Goal: Development Title: Understanding Students' Mathematical Competencies: An Exploration of the Impact of Contextualizing Mathematical Problems FY 2002 AWARDS (cid:131) Name of Institution: Carnegie Mellon University Principal Investigator: Robert Siegler Title: Using Cognitive Analyses to Improve Children's Math and Science Learning (cid:131) Name of Institution: Columbia University Principal Investigator: Jennifer Mangels Co-Principal Investigator: Carol Dweck (Stanford University) Title: The Influence of Students' Intelligence Beliefs on Attention, Information Processing, and Learning: A Neurophysiological Analysis (cid:131) Name of Institution: Northern Illinois University Principal Investigator: M. Anne Britt Title: Improving Students' Comprehension and Construction of Arguments (cid:131) Name of Institution: Northwestern University Principal Investigator: David Uttal Co-Principal Investigator: Judy DeLoache (University of Virginia) Title: Learning From Symbolic Objects National Center for Education Research 5 Projects and Programs, 2002-2006 (cid:131) Name of Institution: University of California, Los Angeles Principal Investigator: Robert Bjork Co-Principal Investigator: Marcia Linn (University of California, Berkeley) Title: Introducing Desirable Difficulties for Educational Applications in Science (cid:131) Name of Institution: University of California, Riverside Principal Investigator: H. Lee Swanson Title: Age-Related Changes in Word Problem Solving and Working Memory (2002-2005) (cid:131) Name of Institution: University of California, San Diego Principal Investigator: Harold Pashler Title: Optimizing Resistance to Forgetting (2002-2005) EDUCATION LEADERSHIP FY 2005 AWARDS (cid:131) Name of Institution: The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin Principal Investigator: Anthony Milanowski Co-Principal Investigators: Steven Kimball, Herbert Heneman, III Goal: Identification Title: Study of Innovative School Leadership Performance Evaluation Systems (cid:131) Name of Institution: School Leadership Center of Greater New Orleans Principal Investigator: Brian Riedlinger Co-Principal Investigators: Scott Bauer (George Mason University), Betty Porter, Jeffrey Oescher (University of Southeastern Louisiana) Goal: Development Title: The Coaching Model: A Collaborative Pilot Program FY 2004 AWARDS (cid:131) Name of Institution: MDRC Principal Investigator: Janet Quint Co-Principal Investigator: Jason Snipes Goal: Development Title: Learning from Efforts to Strengthen Educational Leadership in Urban School Districts (cid:131) Name of Institution: University of Pennsylvania Principal Investigator: Jonathan Supovitz Co-Principal Investigators: James Spillane (Northwestern University), Carol Barnes (University of Michigan), Eric Camburn (University of Michigan), Ellen Goldring (Vanderbilt University) Goal: Efficacy Title: Assessing the Impact of Principals' Professional Development: An Evaluation of the National Institute for School Leadership National Center for Education Research 6 Projects and Programs, 2002-2006 EDUCATION POLICY, FINANCE, AND SYSTEMS FY 2006 AWARDS (cid:131) Name of Institution: Research Foundation of State University of New York Principal Investigator: James Wyckoff Co-Principal Investigators: Hamilton Lankford, Donald Boyd, Susanna Loeb (Stanford University), Pamela Grossman (Stanford University) Goal: Identification Title: Do Reduced Barriers to Entry Affect Student Achievement and Teacher Retention: The Case of New York City Math Immersion FY 2005 AWARDS (cid:131) Name of Institution: National Bureau of Economic Research Principal Investigator: Patrick Bayer Co-Principal Investigators: Fernando Ferreira, Robert McMillan Goal: Identification Title: The Unintended Consequences of a Major Education Policy Reform: California's Class Size Reduction, Student Achievement, and the 'Social Multiplier' (cid:131) Name of Institution: National Bureau of Economic Research Principal Investigator: Thomas Kane Co-Principal Investigators: Justine Hastings, Douglas Staiger Goal: Efficacy Title: Implementing Public School Choice in Charlotte, NC: Impacts on Student Outcomes, Competitiveness and Racial Segregation (cid:131) Name of Institution: Pennsylvania State University Principal Investigator: William Hartman Goal: Cost Accounting Title: Cost Accounting for Student-Level Resources FY 2004 AWARDS (cid:131) Name of Institution: New York University Principal Investigator: Leanna Stiefel Co-Principal Investigator: Amy Ellen Schwartz Goal: Identification Title: How Should We Organize Primary Schooling? Grade Span, School Size and Student Academic Achievement (cid:131) Name of Institution: Vanderbilt University Principal Investigator: Ellen Goldring Co-Principal Investigator: Dale Ballou Goal: Identification Title: Public School Choice: Magnet Schools, Peer Effects, and Student Achievement National Center for Education Research 7 Projects and Programs, 2002-2006