Update on ERIC Changes

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.