Institute of Education Sciences (IES): National Center for Education Research (NCER): Research Education Research and Development Center Program

Institute of Education Sciences (IES): National Center for Education Research (NCER): Research Education Research and Development Center Program is sponsored by Department of Education. Supports research centers focused on education research and development to improve educational outcomes.

NCER supports rigorous research that contributes to the solution of significant education problems in the United States.

Through its research initiatives and the national research and development centers, NCER engages in research activities that will result in the provision of high-quality education for all children, improvement in student academic achievement, reduction in the achievement gap between high-performing and low-performing students, and increased access to and opportunity for postsecondary education. At least 3.

6 million students in the U.S. lack access to music education. MusiQuest is an online learning platform designed to address this inequity. MusiQuest modules for 3rd-5th grade students have previously produced statistically significant outcomes in studies by WestEd in schools without music programs.

This SBIR project will produce Kindergarten - 2nd grade modules that offer schools a convenient and radically affordable way to integrate music education into their existing practice **Federal Funding Program:** Small Business Innovation Research This project will design and test an innovative education technology prototype to strengthen early numeracy skills in children ages 5–7.

The platform combines digital read-aloud stories with an interactive abacus, weaving literacy and mathematics into engaging narratives. Powered by artificial intelligence and gesture recognition, the system adapts learning experiences to each child’s pace and cognitive patterns, offering real-time feedback and visual supports for mental math development.

**Federal Funding Program:** Small Business Innovation Research Two-thirds of U.S. students in grades 3–12 read below proficiency, yet most existing reading assessments lack the depth needed to identify specific areas of difficulty. ReadBasix, developed by ETS, is a validated diagnostic reading assessment that measures six foundational reading skills.

Charmtech Labs created Capti, a platform designed to develop, deliver, and manage assessments. **Federal Funding Program:** Small Business Innovation Research Traditional reading assessments have relied on a passage-and-question format that primarily measures low-level recall rather than deeper comprehension and critical thinking. These assessments are often disconnected from classroom instruction, leaving many students disengaged.

This project aims to transform reading assessment by creating Capti SBA, a platform that empowers educators to generate scenario-based assessments (SBAs) that are aligned to local curricula. **Federal Funding Program:** Small Business Innovation Research By eighth grade, many students—especially girls and historically underrepresented learners—disengage from computer science.

iLumaCap Coder addresses this gap by merging movement, culture, and coding in a low-lift classroom format. Students wear a comfortable LED cap with a motion sensor while learning loops, conditionals, and functions through short dance routines.

**Federal Funding Program:** Small Business Innovation Research The purpose of this project is to develop a microalgae bioprospecting material and curriculum kit for grades 7-12 to enhance STEM education through hands-on, inquiry-based learning. Algae are critical photosynthesizers that provide a gateway for teaching microbiology and experimental design, yet algae is often absent from formal education settings.

This project addresses barriers by creating an accessible, low-cost kit with curriculum aligned to NGSS standards. **Federal Funding Program:** Small Business Innovation Research To become a licensed teacher in the U.S., individuals are generally required to graduate from an accredited teacher education program.

A key component of most programs is the clinical practice in which candidates gain experience managing a classroom under the guidance of a mentor. This experience is seen as foundational to the development of high-quality teachers.

**Federal Funding Program:** Small Business Innovation Research Even as American students’ reading scores continue to decline, the positive impact of media on learning has been consistently supported by research.

**Federal Funding Program:** Small Business Innovation Research School mental health screenings are considered a best practice and a key part of youth mental health to identify all students with needs and tailor services to them.

**Federal Funding Program:** Small Business Innovation Research Results from the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress demonstrate that only 14 percent of students in grade 8 were proficient in their knowledge and understanding of American history. In this project, the team will develop a platform to deliver a multi-player roleplaying game to teach students about key historical events in American history.

**Federal Funding Program:** Small Business Innovation Research The counseling infrastructure in American high schools is in crisis. With their average caseloads exceeding 350, it is practically impossible for school counselors to provide personalized guidance to every student. The lack of such guidance results in student disengagement and poor outcomes across many metrics.

**Federal Funding Program:** Small Business Innovation Research This project team will conduct research to inform and develop a pilot prototype of the Chat2Learn Suite. The Chat2Learn Suite will be an AI-powered tool that can generate countless novel conversation prompts with illustrations that are tailored to children’s varied interests. **Federal Funding Program:** From Seedlings to Scale Grants Program (ALN 84.

305J) A persistent challenge in higher education is ensuring students graduate with career-ready skills for rapidly evolving workplaces (Abel & Deitz, 2016; Ryan, 2022). Although institutions offer career centers, workshops, and internships, only 41% of graduating seniors felt "career ready" (Cengage Group, 2022), and employers highlight gaps in communication, problem-solving, and teamwork.

**Federal Funding Program:** Small Business Innovation Research The team will develop and test HOL Advisor to support teachers and leaders to deliver evidence-based literacy instruction through tech enabled teaching tools and predictive insights for teaching, learning and professional development. **Federal Funding Program:** From Seedlings to Scale Grants Program (ALN 84.

305J) The proposed SkillTree will be an AI-based system that will deliver an automatically generated visual representation or ‘map’ of students’ knowledge, skills, and interest within a specific domain–specifically computer science for this project. **Federal Funding Program:** From Seedlings to Scale Grants Program (ALN 84. 305J)