From the Lab to the Classroom: Institute of Education Sciences Research to Improve Our Nation’s Math and Science Achievement

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SRCD, in collaboration with other organizations, held a Congressional briefing on how research funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) supports advances in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics [STEM] education. As our future economy depends on a workforce with knowledge and skills across the STEM disciplines, effective math and science education is extremely important.  Advances in cognitive science, developmental psychology, and education research are revealing how we can improve in teaching math and science to all children, including those with learning disabilities, from pre-school through secondary education. IES is moving those advances in cognitive and learning science out of our nation’s research laboratories and into classrooms to improve students’ achievement in math and science. The event was widely attended.

Institute of Education Sciences Director John Q. Easton provided an overview of the IES research portfolio and discussed the high priority that IES places on the relevance and usability of the research it supports.

  • Douglas Clements, University of Denver, gave a presentation entitled, Early Childhood Mathematics Intervention: Surprisingly Important.
  • Robert Siegler, Carnegie Mellon University, presented on Helping Children with Mathematics Learning Difficulties and Preventing the Difficulties from Arising in the First Place.
  • Nora Newcombe, Temple University, spoke about Improving Science Learning in Middle School.
  • Steve Breckler, Executive Director for Science, American Psychological Association, moderated the panel.
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Briefing speakers: Dr. Robert Siegler, Dr. Nora Newcombe, Dr. John Q. Easton, Dr. Steven Breckler, and Dr. Douglas Clements
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Dr. Douglas Clements presenting
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Dr. Nora Newcombe speaking
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Dr. Martha Zaslow, Dr. Lonnie Sherrod, and audience members
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Top Left: Briefing speakers (from left to right): Dr. Robert Siegler, Dr. Nora Newcombe, Dr. John Q. Easton, Dr. Steven Breckler, and Dr. Douglas Clements. Top Right: Dr. Douglas Clements provides the audience with an overview of the research findings on the importance of early math skills and results from the evaluation of an intervention to strengthen these skills using approaches that are engaging for young children. Bottom Left: Dr. Nora Newcombe presents findings from the Center on Science and Student Learning evaluating interventions that build on cognitive science to improve middle school science instruction. Bottom Right: (from left to right) Dr. Martha Zaslow, Director of SRCD’s Office for Policy and Communications, Dr. Lonnie Sherrod, Executive Director of SRCD, and audience members listen to remarks by presenters. 

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