UpDate - Vol. 11, No. 37, Page 7
July 23, 1992
$2 million Du Pont grant will start up education 'think tank'

     When school doors open next fall to welcome students back from
summer vacation, the University's new Center for Educational Research
and Development will be well on its way to becoming a reality, thanks
to a $2 million grant from the Du Pont Co.
     The grant will be used to initiate the center, which has as its
mission the improvement of education for all Delaware students, grades
K-12, according to Frank B. Murray, H. Rodney Sharp Professor of
Educational Studies and Psychology and dean of the College of
Education.
     A joint project of the University in cooperation with the
Delaware Department of Public Instruction (DPI), the center will be a
non-partisan, impartial and independent "think tank," providing a
research base to develop standards for student achievement, teacher
assessment and professional advancement, curriculum design and
educational finance.
     A search committee for a director, chaired by Ludwig Mosberg,
associate professor of educational studies, has received more than 100
applications for the position, and a director and associate director
should be in place by fall.
     The director will serve as both a University faculty member and
as deputy state superintendent for policy analysis, working in State
Superintendent Pat Forgione's cabinet.
     In addition to a core staff of five, faculty from across campus
who are interested in educational policy research in Delaware are
invited to become involved with the center, either on a permanent
basis or on a short-term basis while working on special projects.
     The initial thrust of the research will be the development of
content standards for mathematics, science, literacy and social
studies, according to Murray. Achievement standards and tests to
measure student performance will be established for all grades.
     A board of advisers, chaired by Forgione, will help identify
areas that require investigation and will make recommendations about
the center's activities. The center also will work with top Delaware
teachers and administrators and will consult with national and
international educational experts.
     The college is becoming increasingly involved in education on a
national and state level, such as Project 21 to reform math, science
and technology education and the National Principals' Leadership
Academy.
     The Research and Development Policy Center, working with DPI and
with support from corporations and the private sector, also can play a
leadership role in enhancing and expanding public education in
Delaware and as a model for others, Murray said.
     A total budge for the center is projected to be $6.2 million for
five years, with funding being sought from a combination of
University, state and largely private sources.
                                        -Sue Swyers Moncure