Government agencies and members of the educational research community have petitioned for research-based curricula. The ambiguity of the phrase “research-based,” however, undermines attempts to create a shared research foundation for the development of, and informed choices about, classroom curricula. This article presents a framework for the construct of research-based curricula.

The session will focus on:  1) considerations about the relationship of evaluation and research in terms of purposes/functions of evaluation for a DR K-12 development and/or research project; and 2) balancing internal/external/advisory board roles within those purposes/functions of evaluation. Panelists will comment on how projects they are involved in—as investigators or evaluators—have negotiated these considerations.

Support has been rapidly growing for the establishment of K-12 engineering and technology education (ETE) programs in the United States. The idea has been promulgated by many STEM educators and disciplinary leaders, science and engineering associations, and governmental agencies.

The purpose of this session is to share information about three of the projects involved in the CADRE working group for English language learners (ELLs) and STEM. The first project, Project MSSELL (Middle School Science for English Language Learners), will report on a two-year randomized-trial  longitudinal study and the effectiveness of instructional interventions in academic science among ELLs and non-ELLs matriculating through grades 5 and 6 with comparison to the typical science instruction in an urban school district in Southeast Texas.