In 1996, the National Research Council, the working arm of the National Academy of Sciences and its sister institutions (henceforth, the National Academies), established a committee composed of educators, researchers, and policy experts to examine whether it might be feasible to mount a strategic program of education research that could make a strong contribution to improving education in the United States. Their answer, somewhat to the surprise of the committee members, turned out to be a unanimous and enthusiastic “yes!”.
