As a result of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, numerous changes are occuring in the methods of compiling and distributing education information. The U. S. Department of Education maintains a website for what is now called the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) that is periodically updated with news about these changes. Some details and background are available also from the ERIC Development News website, maintained on behalf of education librarians by Kate Corby of Michigan State University.
ERIC
Database
A new contractor, the Computer Sciences Corporation, was selected
in March 2004 to produce the ERIC database and a new publicly
available interface was introduced. Additional content began to be
added to the database in July 2005. The initial emphasis on new
content is citations to journal articles with links to full-text
when available.
ERIC
Documents
Beginning January 2004, no additional materials were accepted for
inclusion as ERIC documents. The final microfiche shipment occurred
in July 2004. Documents included in the database previously and
authorized for electronic distribution are freely available to all
in the "new ERIC" rather than as a paid subscription as in the
past. It is unclear what types of non-journal literature may be
added in the future.
ERIC
Clearinghouses
Previously, more than a dozen subject-specific clearinghouses, most
operated by Universities and non-profit organizations, were part of
the ERIC system. They produced the entries for the ERIC database,
wrote information analyses and other publications, offered
assistance to educatorsand the public, and produced a wide variety
of products such as directories and bibliographies. The
Clearinghouses were closed in December, 2003. Many institutions
have stated their intentions to archive previous content of the
Clearinghouses' websites and, in some cases, to continue selected
services. A summary of what is known is below.
Adult, Career, and Vocational Education
All publications and links to web resources are archived at the
Center on Education and Training
for Employment at Ohio State University, the Texas Center for Adult Literacy
and Learning at Texas A&M University, and the California Adult Literacy
Professional Development Project.
Assessment and Evaluation
Some resources have been migrated to SearchERIC.org and some to the website
of the peer-reviewed electronic journal, Practical Assessment Research and
Evaluation (PARE). The popular Test Locator service has been
lost, but two alternates are Test Reviews Online
from the Buros Institute of Mental Measurements and the Test Collection Index
from the Educational Testing Service (ETS).
Community Colleges
This Clearinghouse was operated by UCLA's Graduate School of
Education and Information Studies. It has stated its intent to
maintain some of the resources of part of the UCLA Community College
Studies program.
Counseling and Student Services
The co-directors of this Clearinghouse founded a new company,
Counseling Outfitters,
L.L.C. that is publishing books on related topics. They state
they are investigating methods to transfer the various virtual
libraries from the Clearinghouse to this new website.
Disabilities and Gifted Education
The Council for Exceptional
Children operated this Clearinghouse, has incorporated some of
the materials into its own website, and states it will continue to
develop selected resources. Hoagie's Gifted
Education Page includes a complete archive of the Clearinghouse
materials as does the Nebraska Association
for the Gifted.
Educational Management
Operated by the University of Oregon, this resource continues as
the Clearinghouse on Educational
Policy and Management (CEPM). All previous materials are
archived, plus new resources are being added.
Elementary and Early Childhood Education
Operated by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, this
group continues its work as the Early Childhood and Parenting
(ECAP) Collaborative.
Higher Education
No plans have been announced to archive the Clearinghouse's
resources nor to continue its programs.
Information and Technology
This Clearinghouse operated the extremely popular AskERIC service
that continues, in modified form, as the Educator's Reference Desk, located at
the Information Institute of Syracuse University.
Languages and Linguistics
Most resources have been integrated into the website of the
Center for Applied Linguistics
which is a private, non-profit organization composed of scholars
and educators.
Reading, English and Communication
Most resources are available at the Kids Can Learn! website,
operated by the Family Learning Association.
Rural Education and Small Schools
Many of the resources of this Clearinghouse are archived at the
website of AEL, a non-profit
organization that began as the Appalachia Educational Laboratory
but which now operates programs national in scope.
Science, Mathematics, and Environmental
Education
Some resources are available at the website of Educational
Realms, operated by Ohio State University. Also see the
Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for
Mathematics and Science Education, also located at Ohio State,
for additional teacher resources.
Social Studies/Social Science Education
This Clearinghouse was operated by the Social Studies
Development Center of Indiana University at Bloomington and
some resources continue to be available.
Teaching and Teacher Education
Some resources have been integrated into the website of the
American Association of Colleges
for Teacher Education (AACTE).
Urban Education
An archive of all
publications of this clearinghouse is maintained by the Institute for Urban and
Minority Education (IUME) at Teachers College, Columbia
University, which continues active programs of research, education
and service.
Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouses
Child Care -see the National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC), operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education - no information
Educational Facilities - This continues as the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, operated by the National Institute of Building Sciences with funding from the U.S. Dept of Education.
Educational Opportunity and Pathways to College - see resources at the National TRIO Clearinghouse.
Entrepreneurship Education - Previous resources remain on the website of the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.
ESL Literacy Education - See the Center for Applied Linguistics.
Homeless Education - See the National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) at SERVE which is affiliated with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
International Civic Education - no information.
Rural Mathematics Education -- Continues as the website of the ACCLAIM Research Initiative, funded by an NSF grant to the Appalachian Collaborative Center on Learning, Assessment, and Instruction in Mathematics (ACCLAIM) which is based at Ohio University.
United States-Japan Studies - Based at Indiana University, this resource continues as the National Clearinghouse for U.S.-Japan Studies with funding from the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership.
