Re: Research Use in the Era of Scientifically Based Research

[Erwin Morton <erwin@morton.net>]

In this context, does anyone here know much about
the NERPPB (National Educational Research Policies
& Priorities Board) and its activities?

The reason for my question is that the presence of
certain familiar names among the members raises
concerns about blurring the distinction between
scientific research (in which we listen carefully to
all the data to try to hear what it has to tell us) and
legal or political research (in which we--or rather
they--comb through the data looking for the bits
that support their preconceptions, or, worse, twist
the data to fit the desired result.

See below for more. Anyone have any thoughts on
this? What's its level of importance?


--Erwin

****************************************

See:
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/NERPPB/members.html
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/NERPPB/commity.html

Here is NERPPB's mission statement, copied from
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/NERPPB/mission.html:

The National Educational Research Policy and Priorities
Board works in cooperation with the Assistant Secretary
and OERI to determine research priorities and evaluation
standards. In addition, the Board works to determine
priorities that ultimately guide the work of OERI and
provide guidance to Congress in its oversight of OERI.
Public members of the board are appointed by the
Secretary and represent educational researchers, school-
based professional educators, and parents.

The Board further specified that it shall be the mission of
the National Educational Research Policy and Priorities
Board (NERPPB) to guide the nation’s educational
research, development, and dissemination agenda. It
will do so by establishing policies and priorities that will
enhance high quality, respected research, development,
and dissemination and by communicating the value of
educational research to the public.

In carrying out its mission, the NERPPB will:

- review, synthesize, and interpret knowledge related to
educational theory, practice, and policy;
- articulate the nation’s educational research, development,
and dissemination needs;
- identify areas of educational research and development
that promise significant progress in the understanding
and improvement of education;
- establish priorities for the nation’s educational research,
development and dissemination efforts;
- encourage and promote new educational research and
development initiatives consistent with the priorities
established by the Board;
- advocate for human and financial resources for a
productive RD&D system; and report periodically to
Congress and the public.

****************************************


http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/NERPPB/members.html



Dan Laitsch wrote:

> Hi all,
> This is just a brief announcement about a joint ASCD and AERA SIG on 
> Research Use sponsored breakfast pre-session at this year's AERA 
> annual meeting in San Diego. If you'd like to attend this pre-session, 
> please let me know so that I can make sure there's enough room 
> capacity and food. If you'd like to let your colleagues know about the 
> session, you can download a flier from the SIGRU Web site: 
> http://www.sigru.org/meetings/presession.pdf.
>
> See you in San Diego!
>
> Dan
>
>
> ****************************************************
> Research Use in the Era of Scientifically Based Research
> Special Interest Group on Research Use Breakfast Pre-session
> AERA Annual Meeting 2004
> San Diego, CA
> Monday, April 12, 2004
> 8:15 AM - 10:15 AM Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel: Annie Room, Section A
>
> In 2002, two pieces of federal legislation were enacted to, in part, 
> raise the profile and perceived quality of education research:
> * Through No Child Left Behind, legislators wrote into law a 
> definition of "scientifically based research," which includes a heavy 
> emphasis on experimental randomized methodologies.
> * The What Works Clearinghouse was established through the Institute 
> for Education Sciences to apply scientifically based research 
> requirements in the development of "standards for reviewing and 
> synthesizing educational research...[to produce] Evidence Reports on 
> the effectiveness of educational interventions and test instruments."
>
> Recently, scientists and researchers have begun to question whether 
> such mandates may create a system that encourages the manipulation of 
> research findings, methodologies, and dissemination as activists 
> attempt to control policy debates. This session will examine these 
> issues, and ask specifically:
> * How do SBR requirements impact the work of researchers, and the 
> application of research?
> * What are the key policy issues in this discussion?
> * Does this debate necessarily pit the scientific community against 
> the federal government?
> * What should SIGRU, and SIGRU members do in response to the issues 
> raised in this session?
>
> Session Chair:
> Jason Adsit, Assistant Professor, Baldwin Wallace College and Program 
> Chair of SIGRU.
>
> Presenters:
> Rebecca Herman, Principal Scientist, American Institutes for Research 
> and AIR's Project Director for the What Works Clearinghouse
> Dan Laitsch, Senior Policy Analyst, Association for Supervision and 
> Curriculum Development and Chair of SIGRU.
>
> Discussant:
> Gerald Srouffe, Senior Advisor and Director of Government Relations 
> for the American Educational Research Association (tentative).
>
> The session, cosponsored by the Association for Supervision and 
> Curriculum Development, will include a light breakfast to help 
> participants kick-off the week's activities. Registration, payable at 
> the door, is $10 for SIGRU members, and $15 for non-members (the fee 
> for non-members includes a one year membership in SIGRU). If you plan 
> to join us, please let us know through our contact form 
> (http://www.sigru.org/contact.htm), via e-mail to the SIGRU chair 
> (chair@sigru.org), or via reply to this message.
>
>
>
> **********************************************
> Dan Laitsch, Ph.D.
> Senior Policy Analyst
> Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
> http://www.ascd.org
> Chair
> Special Interest Group on Research Use
> American Educational Research Association
> http://www.sigru.org