Nebraska partnering for national research center on advanced education – Nebraska Public Media

Report on the National Research Center on Advanced Education and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

A new National Research Center on Advanced Education has been established through a five-year initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. This multi-stakeholder partnership, led by Johns Hopkins University, includes the Nebraska, New Jersey, and North Carolina Departments of Education. The Center’s mission is to develop research-informed tools and support systems for educators, policymakers, and families of high-ability learners. This initiative directly supports the achievement of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), primarily SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Advancing SDG 4: Quality Education

The Center’s core objective is to enhance the educational landscape for advanced students, ensuring they receive an inclusive and equitable quality education tailored to their needs, a cornerstone of SDG 4.

• Primary Goal: To translate research into practical strategies and tools that support educators in identifying and nurturing high-ability learners.
• Nebraska’s Focus: The Nebraska Department of Education will concentrate on improving local identification protocols and developing new resources for educators, ensuring no learner is left behind.

Contribution to SDG 4 Targets:

1. Target 4.1 (Equitable Quality Education): By creating robust support systems, the initiative ensures that high-ability learners receive a quality education that allows them to reach their full potential, contributing to quality education for all.
2. Target 4.7 (Education for Sustainable Development): Nurturing advanced learners equips future leaders and innovators with the critical skills necessary to address global challenges and promote sustainable development.
3. Target 4.c (Qualified Teachers): The development of new tools and implementation support directly contributes to the professional development and effectiveness of teachers, increasing the supply of educators qualified to serve all students.

Promoting SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

A significant focus of the research is to improve the identification of high-ability learners, a process which can carry systemic biases. This directly addresses the goals of SDG 10 by working to reduce educational inequalities.

• Equitable Identification: The project aims to create more inclusive methods for recognizing advanced learners, ensuring students from all socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds have equal opportunities to be identified and supported.
• Inclusive Support: By providing educators with better tools, the Center helps ensure that once identified, all high-ability students receive the support they need to thrive, thereby promoting the social and economic inclusion of all as outlined in Target 10.2.

Embodying SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

This initiative is a prime example of a multi-stakeholder partnership designed to mobilize knowledge and expertise to achieve a common goal, reflecting the collaborative spirit of SDG 17.

Key Collaborative Partners:

1. Johns Hopkins University (Lead)
2. American Institutes for Research
3. Texas A&M University
4. University of Calgary (Canada)
5. Nebraska Department of Education
6. New Jersey Department of Education
7. North Carolina Department of Education

• Knowledge Sharing: The collaboration between academic institutions and state education departments facilitates the effective translation of research into policy and practice, as highlighted by Target 17.16.
• Effective Public Partnership: This initiative represents a strong public-public partnership, leveraging the strengths of federal, state, and academic entities to enhance educational outcomes and contribute to a global knowledge base on quality education.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 4: Quality Education
   • The entire article is centered on improving education. It discusses a new National Research Center on Advanced Education focused on supporting “advanced students.” The initiative’s goal to “improve local identification of high-ability learners and create tools for educators to support those students” directly aligns with SDG 4’s mission to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all learners.
2. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The article highlights a significant collaboration to achieve educational goals. It describes a partnership involving Johns Hopkins University, the American Institutes for Research, Texas A&M University, the University of Calgary, and the education departments of Nebraska, New Jersey, and North Carolina. This multi-stakeholder partnership, funded by a government entity, exemplifies the collaborative approach promoted by SDG 17 to mobilize knowledge and resources for sustainable development.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.
   • The initiative aims to ensure that “all high-ability learners are recognized and served.” By developing “research-informed tools and implementation support,” the center is working to improve the quality and equity of education for this specific group of students, helping them achieve more effective learning outcomes.
2. Target 4.a: Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.
   • The focus on creating “tools for educators to support” high-ability students contributes to making learning environments more inclusive and effective. These tools help adapt the educational setting to meet the needs of all learners, including those who are advanced.
3. Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources.
   • The article is a clear example of this target in action. It describes a multi-stakeholder partnership (universities, research institutes, state education departments) that is mobilizing financial resources (from the U.S. Department of Education) and sharing knowledge and expertise (“research-informed tools”) to improve education.
4. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.
   • The collaboration between universities, a research institute, and public state education departments is a model of an effective public and public-private partnership aimed at a common goal, as described in the article: “Pairing a great research team with Nebraska leaders and educators who continue to push the envelope should benefit both Nebraska and the country.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Implied Indicator for Target 4.1: Proportion of high-ability learners identified and served by specialized educational support.
   • The article states a key goal in Nebraska is to “improve local identification of high-ability learners” and ensure they are “recognized and served.” Progress could be measured by tracking the number of students identified and the extent to which they receive support through the new tools and strategies developed by the center.
2. Implied Indicator for Target 4.a: Number of educators provided with and utilizing new tools and strategies for supporting advanced students.
   • The initiative’s plan to “create tools for educators” and provide “implementation support” implies that a measure of success would be the adoption and use of these tools by teachers. Tracking the number of educators trained or actively using these resources would serve as an indicator of progress.
3. Implied Indicator for Target 17.16/17.17: Number of institutions actively collaborating in the multi-stakeholder partnership.
   • The article explicitly lists the partners: “Johns Hopkins University…the American Institutes for Research, Texas A&M University and the University of Calgary in Canada, along with the Nebraska, New Jersey and North Carolina education departments.” The existence and continued collaboration of these seven distinct entities serve as a direct indicator of a functioning multi-stakeholder partnership.

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nebraskapublicmedia.org