Evidence-Based Reform in Education: Promise and Pitfalls

In this keynote address presented at the Mid-western Educational Research Association Annual Meeting in October, 2004, the author discusses the increasing interest of federal policy-makers in scientifically- based research. A comparison between education and other disciplines is offered, and a proposal for increased rigor in educational research is proposed

Thinking, Doing, Talking Science: Evaluation report and Executive summary

Thinking, Doing, Talking Science (TDTS) is a programme that aims to make science lessons in primary schools more practical, creative and challenging. Teachers are trained in a repertoire of strategies that aim to encourage pupils to use higher order thinking skills. This project sought to assess the impact of the programme on the academic outcomes and attitudes towards science of Year 5 pupils. 655 pupils from 21 schools across England completed the project. Participating schools followed the programme for the entirety of the 2013/14 academic year. A further 20 schools formed a randomised comparison group and did not receive training in the approach until the following year. Thinking, Doing, Talking Science appeared to have a positive impact on the attainment of pupils in science. Overall, Year 5 pupils in schools using the approach made approximately three additional months’ progress. The programme had a particularly positive effect on girls and on pupils with low prior attainment

Evidence-based reform in education

This article proposes an approach to education reform in which government encourages schools to use programs and practices proven to be effective in rigorous evaluations. In this system, teachers and school leaders would be able to select among a variety of proven methods, and could receive funds to help them adopt and implement these programs. Government would help build up a set of proven programs for all grade levels and many subjects, and would provide support to help schools choose and implement proven programs, but schools would have freedom to choose whatever works for their students. This policy, it is argued, would promote innovation and reform without top-down mandates, building knowledge as it increases effective teaching and improved outcomes for students

Cooperative Learning, Success for All, and Evidence-based Reform in education

This article argues that educational practice and policy should be based on evidence from rigorous experiments. Examples of cooperative learning and Success For All are given to illustrate how proven programs have been evaluated and broadly disseminated. Policy initiatives in the U.S. to promote use of proven programs are described. Evidence-based reform is possible in education, but it demands strong research and clear guidance for educators

Evidence-Based Practice Meets Improvement Science

Anthony Bryk is one of the most thoughtful and articulate theorists of education improvement anywhere. In his 2014 AERA Distinguished Lecture, published in the Educational Researcher (Bryk, 2015), he lays out his critique of current strategies for improving schools at scale. His purpose is to propose a “third paradigm” for school improvement. The first, often called standards-based reform, consists of the use of standards, assessments, and central reg..