Training Program Features

The Training Program is a partnership of five academic departments and Center for Social Organization of Schools (CSOS).  Each of the departments is strong in its own right, with rigorous methods requirements. In The Department of Sociology, training is from a sociology of education disciplinary perspective; in the Department of Mental Health, training is from a developmental science/prevention science disciplinary perspective; and in the School of Education, training is from an education practice perspective.  The Training Program adds onto these doctoral programs by enhancing trainees' ability to conduct education research of the highest order through:

• Practical experience in classroom management and pedagogy

• Formal coursework in the tools of education science research, including randomized trials methods and quantitative methods for the analysis of non-experimental data

• First-hand research experience in both research modalities

• Program-wide specialized seminars, including a methodologically-focused Summer Institute focused on specific aspects of educational research and educational innovation. 

Upon successful completion of all program requirements, trainees will receive a Certificate in Education Research.

MAJOR ELEMENTS

• A primary focus on quantitative, empirical methods, including randomized trials and statistical methods

• Four advanced methods courses

These courses are taken as elective or required courses within the framework of the host department’s requirements.

• Randomized trials research methods
• Advanced statistical methods in research
• Evaluation methods
• Measurement theory and method

 

• Two 12-month research placements

These placements may also fulfill research apprenticeship

requirements in the host department.

• A randomized trials project
• A project entailing statistical analysis of observational data

 

• Five years of support

• Tuition and fees (partial or full)
• Annual trainee stipend ($30,000/year)
• Research and travel subvention

 

• A summer teaching placement under the auspices of The Johns Hopkins University Center for Summer Learning

• An annual Summer Research Institute “short course” focused on advanced methods

• An annual external speaker series

• An annual meeting of IES trainees in National Harbor, Maryland with poster sessions and research presentations

• Training program "brownbag series" with presentations by trainees and faculty

Mission of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES)

Established by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, the Institute of Education Sciences is the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education. Its mission is to expand knowledge and provide information on the condition of education, practices that improve academic achievement, and the effectiveness of Federal and other education programs. Its goal is the transformation of education into an evidence-based field in which decision-makers routinely seek out the best available research and data before adopting programs or practices that will affect significant numbers of students. The Institute comprises the Office of the Director, the National Center for Education Research, the National Center for Education Statistics, the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, and the National Center for Special Education Research.