Department of Education Seeking Comments on Education Research, COVID-19, and Equity

On May 3, the U.S. Department of Education released a request for comments on proposed priorities and definitions within the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program. The request cites two proposed priorities that will be used to tailor the EIR program to address timely issues: (1) Measuring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students and teachers; and (2) Promoting equity in students’ access to educational opportunities.

The request also proposes three new definitions to be used for applications of the EIR program:

• “High-quality tutoring”, defined as tutoring based on evidence-based strategies to support success in the classroom, delivered in a small-group or individual setting from well-trained tutors, and is tailored to the student’s need and ability.
• “Personalized learning”, defined as instruction that is aligned with rigorous college- and career-ready standards so that the pace of learning and the instructional approach are tailored to the needs of individual learners.
• “Underserved students”, defined as high-need students as determined by one or more self-identified demographic and socioeconomic factors.

Comments will be accepted through June 2, 2021. More information is available in the Federal Register.