Research-based Policy Statements

Here we have collected policy statements about research and teaching that are themselves supported by research evidence.  Sources are cited (and where possible, linked) below, so you can access the original research for more details.

• No Child Left Behind  has legislated a closer relationship between teaching and research, and the policy implications of that legislation extend to teachers in terms of both what they do and how they learn; school district decision-makers in terms of choosing materials and programs; and state legislators in terms of distinguishing between politicized and sound research.
• Debates within education about the value of various types of research—qualitative, quantitative, mixed, practitioner etc.—frequently hinge on questions of validity and what that term means. (Huberman, Cochran Smith & Lytle, Anderson & Herr)
• The term “scientifically based research” is key in NCLB policy, but the meaning of the term is contested.  Statements from several sources demonstrate the terms of disagreement. (American Educational Research Association, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

Sources:

• American Educational Research Association. (2003, January 26). Resolution on the
   essential elements of scientifically based research. 
• Anderson, G.L. & Herr, K. (1999). The new paradigm wars: Is there room for rigorous
   practitioner knowledge in schools and universities?” Educational Researcher 28,
   5, 12-21.
• Cochran Smith, M. & Lytle, S. (1998). Teacher research: The question that persists.
   International Journal of Leadership in Education. 1, 1, 19-36.
• Huberman, M. (1996). Focus on research moving mainstream: Taking a closer look at
   teacher research. Language Arts 73, 2, 124-40.