About IESInstitute of Education SciencesIES_ca01e86a-c9f4-11e4-9e91-b24d3efa8bddStudentsBy identifying what works, what doesn't, and why, we aim to improve educational outcomes for all students, particularly those at risk of failure.U.S. Department of EducationWe are the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education, and by law our activities must be free of partisan political influence.Educational Researchers We fund top educational researchers nationwide to conduct studies that seek answers on what works for students from preschools to postsecondary, including interventions for special education students.PractitionersMoving forward, IES' rigorous research agenda will be informed by the voices and interests of practitioners and policy makers, who will be involved in shaping the questions most relevant to their practice.Policy MakersStatesWe will seek to build the capacity of states and school districts to conduct research, evaluate their programs and make sense of the data they are collecting.School DistrictsSchoolsWe will strive to develop a greater understanding of schools as learning organizations and study how development, research, and innovation can be better linked to create sustainable school reforms.Sue BetkaSue Betka, Deputy Director for Administration and Policy, is currently serving as Acting IES Director -- Sue Betka serves as the Deputy Director for Administration and Policy in the Institute of Education Sciences. She oversees the Institute's management operations, grants administration, and Outreach and Communications offices. In addition, she is responsible for Institute activities related to budget, legislative, and regulatory development. A long-time Department of Education employee, she has prior experience in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Department's Budget Service. Her bachelor's and master's degrees are from the University of Illinois. The Deputy Director for Administration and Policy is responsible for guidance and leadership related to policy and to budget and legislative development. The Deputy Director for Administration and Policy serves as liaison with other offices of the Department regarding legislation, budget, and management operations affecting the Institute. The Deputy Director for Administration and Policy also oversees the following units: * Management Operations Staff, which is responsible for managing and coordinating personnel activities; administrative functions related to budget execution, financial administration, small purchase procurements, and facilities and equipment; information systems; and the Institute's Executive Secretariat; * Grants Administration Staff, which is responsible for administrative and management functions related to the award and oversight of grants supported by the Institute; and * Outreach and Communications Staff, which is responsible for managing the Institute's outreach and communications activities and for managing the print and electronic publication of Institute products.Anne RicciutiDeputy Director for Science -- Dr. Ricciuti was named Deputy Director for Science in July 2007. Ricciuti joined IES in May 2004 as part of the Standards and Review Office, which is responsible for carrying out the scientific peer review process for Institute reports and research grant competitions. Prior to joining IES, Ricciuti spent 11 years working in the Education and Family Services area of Abt Associates Inc., a research and consulting firm. While there, she had senior technical roles in a number of evaluations of federal programs. She co-directed the third national evaluation of the Even Start Family Literacy Program, which included a randomized trial of the impact of the program. She also worked on national evaluations of the Comprehensive Child Development Program, Title I, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Ricciuti received her bachelor of arts degree in psychology at Cornell University, and her master's and doctoral degrees in developmental psychology at the University of Virginia. She has served as a research grant reviewer for the Child Care Bureau of the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Deputy Director for Science is responsible, on behalf of the Director, for liaison with the National Board for Education Sciences. The Deputy Director for Science is responsible for guidance and leadership related to the scientific quality of Institute activities, for special projects and analyses, and for performance evaluation related to the Government Performance and Results Act. The Deputy Director for Science oversees the following unit: * Standards and Review Staff, which is responsible for managing the review of Institute reports and other products to ensure that they meet the standards required by the Education Sciences Reform Act and for managing the scientific peer review activities of the Institute.... greater understanding of schools as learning organizations and how development, research, and innovation can be better linked to create sustainable school reforms._ca01ea36-c9f4-11e4-9e91-b24d3efa8bddTo provide rigorous and relevant evidence on which to ground education practice and policy and share this information broadly._ca01eb3a-c9f4-11e4-9e91-b24d3efa8bddStudies, Standards, Support & TrainingConduct scientific studies, demand high standards, and support and train researchers across the country._ca01ec20-c9f4-11e4-9e91-b24d3efa8bdd1ReseachersWith a budget of over $200 million and a staff of nearly 200 people, IES has helped raise the bar for all education research and evaluation by conducting peer-reviewed scientific studies, demanding high standards, and supporting and training researchers across the country._ca01ed2e-c9f4-11e4-9e91-b24d3efa8bddResearch FundingFund educational researchers to conduct studies on what works for students from preschools to postsecondary, including interventions for special education students._ca01ee00-c9f4-11e4-9e91-b24d3efa8bdd2Educational ResearchersStudentsSpecial Education StudentsWe fund top educational researchers nationwide to conduct studies that seek answers on what works for students from preschools to postsecondary, including interventions for special education students._ca01eed2-c9f4-11e4-9e91-b24d3efa8bddStatistics, Studies, Surveys & AssessmentsCollect and analyze statistics on the condition of education, conduct long-term longitudinal studies and surveys, support international assessments, and carry out the National Assessment of Educational Progress._ca01f076-c9f4-11e4-9e91-b24d3efa8bdd3We collect and analyze statistics on the condition of education, conduct long-term longitudinal studies and surveys, support international assessments, and carry out the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nation's Report Card._ca01f13e-c9f4-11e4-9e91-b24d3efa8bddEvaluationsEvaluate of large-scale educational projects and federal education programs._ca01f1fc-c9f4-11e4-9e91-b24d3efa8bdd4We conduct evaluations of large-scale educational projects and federal education programs -- which soon will include examining reforms driven by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act._ca01f2ce-c9f4-11e4-9e91-b24d3efa8bddDataProvide grants for the development and use of longitudinal data systems supporting data-driven school improvement. _ca01f3b4-c9f4-11e4-9e91-b24d3efa8bdd5StatesSchoolsWe help states work toward data-driven school improvement by providing grants for the development and use of longitudinal data systems._ca01f468-c9f4-11e4-9e91-b24d3efa8bddInformation, Outreach & Technical AssistanceInform the public and reach out to practitioners with dissemination strategies and technical assistance programs._ca01f54e-c9f4-11e4-9e91-b24d3efa8bdd6The PublicPractitionersFinally, we inform the public and reach out to practitioners with a variety of dissemination strategies and technical assistance programs, including: the What Works Clearinghouse; the ERIC education database; ten Regional Educational Laboratories; national Research and Development Centers; and through conferences, publications and products._ca01fdc8-c9f4-11e4-9e91-b24d3efa8bdd2015-03-14http://ies.ed.gov/aboutus/OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net