Education and Child Development Studies

For more than 40 years, NORC has been committed to conducting high quality education research.  Its department of Education and Child Development Studies’ research covers the full array of education-relevant populations, from pre-school children to the post-graduate doctorate holders. The scope of its education research methodologies has been wide-ranging, too – including primary data collection and reporting, analysis of individual and aggregate assessments, transcript abstraction, and classroom observations.

The most notable panel surveys developed by NORC for the U.S. Department of Education were High School and Beyond (HS&B), the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS-72), and the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). These seminal studies are at the foundation of longitudinal education research carried out today. The legacy of these landmark projects provides irreplaceable information on the performance and experiences, hopes and plans of American young people, and the hopes and plans their parents had for them. NORC continues to build on this tradition today by delivering high quality social science research on education with a staff of highly regarded research professionals.

The current staff maintains active research agendas and integral ties with leaders in the education research community. In particular, the formation of the Joint Center for Education Research (JCER) has significantly enhanced collaborative research by facilitating partnerships between University of Chicago academic researchers with NORC staff researchers.   Additionally, the Education and Child Development Studies department actively partners with other NORC research departments and experts at other institutions.

By implementing state-of-the-art research methodologies and utilizing advanced statistical techniques to analyze the data, NORC’s work provides reliable, evidence-based information to help resolve and address critical issues in education. Its research supports the aims of government, private agencies, and organizations that require program evaluations, assessments, data collection, and analysis of academic populations by consistently implementing accurate, relevant, and accessible social science research.

 Areas of Expertise

• Early childhood education
• K-20 education
• Public and private schools
• Charter schools
• Elementary schools
• Middle schools
• High schools
• Community Colleges
• 4-year Colleges and Universities
• Graduate education
• School reform
• Special education
• College readiness
• College access and persistence
• Scholarship evaluations
• Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education
• Student achievement, testing, assessments
• Teacher quality
• State Longitudinal Data Systems
• Growth Models

 Major Capabilities

• Data Collection and Management
• Multi-mode instrumentation
• Assessments
• Classroom observations
• Cognitive testing and focus groups
• Dissemination
• Evaluation Research and Performance Management
• Policy Analysis
• Statistics and Sampling
• Study Design and Survey Methodology
• Technical assistance