Activities in research included symposia on topics of shared interest to the multiple groups in education, the funding of research that uses CMEC and Statistics Canada information on learning outcomes and transitions, planning sessions, and a research report database.
Pan-Canadian Education Research Agenda
The Canadian Education Statistics Council (CESC), a partnership between CMEC and Statistics Canada, initiated the Pan-Canadian Education Research Agenda (PCERA) in 1997 to bring attention to issues in education that are of common concern to researchers, policy makers, and practitioners across Canada. The original PCERA research priorities were defined through a process of consultation with ministries and departments of education as well as through the work of an advisory committee of education researchers and government officials. PCERA research activities were focused on Aboriginal education, literacy, and access to postsecondary education, with priorities such as healthy schools, teacher education, and special education.
Each PCERA symposium was organized to explore a specific theme. For example, the 2007 symposium focused on literacy, sharing effective policies and practices and highlighting how policy-relevant research and data can be used to assist policy makers.
- 2007 – Literacy
- 2003 – Learning outcomes
- 2002 – Information technology and learning
- 2001 – Teacher education/Educator training
- 2000 – Children and youth at risk
- 1999 – PCERA priority research themes
CESC-SSHRC Education Research Initiative
In 2002, CESC entered into a joint initiative with the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), funded by the government of Canada, for the promotion of policy-relevant education research. The CESC-SSHRC Education Research Initiative provided $3.2 million over four years for education research in Canada focused on learning outcomes and transitions that used CMEC and Statistics Canada educational databases.