The Institute of Education Sciences has issued the Director's Biennial Report to Congress, covering activities and accomplishments of the Institute in 2005 and 2006.

Transmitted by Director Grover J. (Russ) Whitehurst as required by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, the report includes a description of the activities of IES and its four National Education Centers, as well as a summary of all IES grants and contracts during the biennium in excess of $100,000.

Since IES's first Biennial Report two years ago, said Whitehurst, "IES has been transformed from an organization under construction to one that is fully formed and operational."

Among the report's highlights:

• Twenty-four large evaluation studies are underway in the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE). NCEE's What Works Clearinghouse and redesigned ERIC digital research library are both thriving, with ERIC receiving 62 million separate searches in 2006.
• The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) awarded grants to 14 states to create or enhance statewide longitudinal data systems. NCES drew national attention to several reports, and the National Assessment of Educational Progress remained the "gold standard" of educational testing.
• IES's newest Center, the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER), devoted considerable energy to organizing, staffing, and putting the mechanisms in place to carry out its responsibilities. Last year, NCSER conducted grant competitions on 12 different research topics that produced 252 applications and resulted in 28 grants.
• The National Center for Education Research (NCER) experienced a large increase in number of competitions and number of applications received. In 2006, 94 percent of funded grant applications received a score of excellent from review panels.
• The National Board for Education Sciences, as required by statute, reviewed IES's peer-review processes and found them of the "highest merit." The Board also approved Director Whitehurst's long-term research priorities. The priorities were published in the Federal Register and modified after a period of public comment.

View, download, and print the full report as a PDF file (949 KB)