MIE Research & Development

Mission: The mission of the Music-in-Education Research & Development Center (MIERDC) is to develop and implement rigorous standards of evaluation and research practices in schools and arts learning organizations in order to inform and guide program development that contributes significantly to a better understanding of music’s contribution to 21st century education.

History: Established in 1998 as a research center housed at the New England Conservatory, the MIERDC has, since 2009, operated, with the same leadership, under the aegis of the Metropolitan Opera Guild at the Lincoln Center, New York City.  Its original purpose was to support and guide laboratory school programs in the greater Boston area.  As it evolved, the MIERDC has become the principal organizer for research, documentation and assessment for a national laboratory school network, with continuous funding from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Endowment for the Arts.  More than a decade of MIERDC research findings and publications point to the following long-term goal: to provide research-based, innovative music-in-education practices that will serve as a foundation for a designated laboratory school program in every U.S. school district.

Purposes and Functions of the MIERDC: These laboratory schools will model fully-accountable, comprehensive, standards-based, Music PLUS Music Integration (M+MI) programs that maximize the potential of every child to learn in and through the arts.  The MIERDC will develop rigorous standards of documentation and analysis of program outcomes.  In doing so, we intend to advance the formulation of policies that support music’s contribution to excellence in school performance and that further a positive school culture.

The Work of the MIERDC

At the national level, the MIERDC will:

  • Provide criteria and quality for action research and experimental research-based program design and development of laboratory school networks at the state and national level.
  • Collect evidence of generative consortium program outcomes and products through assessment methods shared across regional laboratory school networks.
  • Provide oversight of research and development aspects of publications and materials needed for dissemination beyond the laboratory school network.
  • Conduct basic and applied research studies on behalf of school partnerships that continue to advance music-in-education teaching and learning practices beyond the scope of conventional music programs of the past.

At the local site partnership level, the MIERDC will:

  • Provide criteria and quality for internal research-based program design and implementation.
  • Monitor and supply ongoing evaluation of internal program outcomes and products with respect to the mission of MIE.
  • Provide a process for scale out dissemination of internal program materials and practices into external networks.

When useful and appropriate, the MIERDC as a research partner will call on outside experts or organizations to validate, re-analyze, and/or replicate studies initially conducted at all local sites.

Operational or Programmatic Agenda of the MIERDC:

  1. Field Research in Collaboration with Consortium Partnerships:
    • Presently support regional laboratory school partnerships based on MIENC principles, resources and innovative practices
    • Devise strategies for dissemination in other laboratory school centers: Guided Interns, M+MI program development, Digital Portfolios, Guided Interns, Music Learning Leadership Profession Learning; Guided Practice Consultants, school and research publications (Journal)
  2. Research-Based Program Evaluation:
    • Provide Research design
    • Provide data collection, documentation and assessment methods
    • Adapt and create situated assessment instrument, testing methods and training
    • Provide comprehensive data analysis and technical reports
  3. Funded Research & Evaluation Studies:
    • Funded and administered by other projects within the MIENC or external to the MIENC
    • Basic or applied research projects administered by MIERDC that are situated in laboratory school networks
    • Collaborative Research Projects: Creating intellectual capital through think-tanks, collaborative research agenda; colleagues, advisory councils, etc.
  4. Dissemination of Research–Based Practices that:
    • Provide Guided Practice Consultant Teams for program development and dissemination of research-based practices
    • Offer Professional learning programs
    • Convene Research conferences
    • Disseminate materials, findings, professional learning materials and publications, web-based products

Thank you for visiting CenterForMIE.org.