Strengthening Education Through Research Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today in support of the Strengthening Education Through Research Act, legislation to improve the quality and usefulness of education research.

Mr. Speaker, more than a decade ago, Congress approved the Education Sciences Reform Act, legislation that established the Institute of Education Sciences to gather information on education progress, conduct research on education practices in schools, and evaluate the effectiveness of Federal education programs and initiatives.

Like many of my colleagues, I believe the Federal Government's role in education needs to be significantly reduced. And that is why we passed the Student Success Act last summer, comprehensive education reform legislation that will actually shrink the Federal footprint in the classroom and return control to the parents, the teachers, and community leaders who, in fact, know our children best. In fact, I would challenge anyone here on the floor to say that any person or bureaucrat in the Department of Education knows our kids better than their own teachers, parents, and the local taxpayer.

So while we continue to await Senate action on the Student Success Act, we have additional opportunities now to act on commonsense proposals that will make the Federal role in education more effective and efficient. The research produced by the Institute sheds critical light on how taxpayer dollars are being used in our education system and can provide important information on what is and is not working in our schools.

Mr. Speaker, the Strengthening Education Through Research Act will improve education research, protect taxpayers by enhancing program accountability, and help ensure more schools and students can benefit from effective education practices.

This law provides information that helps States and school districts identify successful education practices and allows taxpayers and congressional leaders to monitor the Federal investment in education. However, the Education Sciences Reform Act is overdue for reform, with several weaknesses in the law that must be addressed now.

For example, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office, the Institute does not always properly evaluate the effectiveness of its programs and research arms. So we run into an issue where we could be throwing good money after bad, and that needs to stop. It could lead to unnecessary costs and redundancies, something we must be particularly wary of in these times of fiscal restraint. Additionally, although the Institute has dramatically improved the quality of education research in recent years, there is often a significant delay in disseminating key data and findings to education leaders nationwide. What good does it do for us to pay to conduct this research, to collect the data, but fail to disseminate it so it can be used?

The Supporting Education Through Research Act will address these weaknesses and help school leaders access more timely, more relevant, and useful information on the most effective educational practices. It is called transparency, Mr. Speaker, and that is good for the students, it is good for the teachers, it is good for the parents, and it is good for the taxpayers. It is good for all of us.

First, H.R. 4366 will enhance the relevancy of education research, ensuring teachers, students, parents, and policymakers can access and actually use more useful information about what is successful, what is working and what isn't.

Second, the legislation will take steps to streamline the education research system and reduce overlap and duplicative research efforts. Now, this bill will also require the Institute to regularly evaluate its research and review the efficacy of Federal education programs, ensuring taxpayer resources are being put to good use.

Finally, H.R. 4366 will ensure that the Institute and the National Assessment Governing Board, which administers the Nation's Report Card, remain autonomous entities that are free from political influence and bias. Unfortunately, that political influence and bias exists in our education system and could exist in our research arms if we don't, as Congress, make clear what is expected of them.

Not only does this legislation help teachers, school leaders, and State and local governments, it also helps families. Families, particularly military families, can change school districts several times during their child's education. Our experience with the free market tells us that informed consumers are, in fact, the best consumers and the best-protected consumers.

As consumers of education, families deserve the best information possible in making decisions regarding their child's education.

So, Mr. Speaker, the Strengthening Education Through Research Act will improve education research, protect taxpayers by enhancing program accountability, and help ensure more schools and students can benefit from effective education practices.

I urge my colleagues to support the Strengthening Education Through Research Act.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

I would also like to recognize Jeremy and thank him for his service and hope that I wasn't the subject of any of that quick wit during the time I was chairman.

I also thank Congressman Miller for the work he has done on this bill and the bill yet to come tonight, as well as his general leadership on the committee. It is appreciated. From a newer guy on the other side of the aisle, he is someone who I respect and I am going to miss a lot.

I also want to thank Mrs. McCarthy for her work and leadership on elementary and secondary education issues generally and for her service on the committee. I know she cares about these issues, particularly improving education options for women.

She has been a joy to work with as ranking member on the subcommittee through the easy issues and, frankly, through some of the harder ones. As a newer member and, frankly, a green chairman, I would often rely on the honest comment and the kind smile of Carolyn McCarthy and would simply say that if more of us did that, perhaps, Mr. Speaker, more work like the bill we are discussing right now would get done in Congress.

One of the top priorities of this Congress--certainly one of my top priorities is helping people to build better lives for themselves and their families, whether that is through more flexible work schedules, stronger job training programs, or smarter student loan terms, advancing commonsense policies that will make life work for more Americans is our primary goal.

The Strengthening Education through Research Act is part of this effort. In classrooms nationwide, teachers and school leaders need quality research to identify the best ways to raise student achievement and progress.

By passing the Strengthening Education through Research Act today, we can help these educators gain access to the timely and useful information necessary to raise student achievement levels across the board.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would simply say that I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 4366.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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