In the recent edition of Educational Leadership, a monthly publication from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum, there is an article titled “The Spectrum of Educational Research,” . It cautions us to remember the limits and benefits of educational research when it comes to making policy decisions.
The article focuses on the research around charter schools and how that research has been politicized by various factions. It struck a nerve with me because of the way in which we (those of us bloggers) throw around research results as if it was the final word on the topic.
How can we use research to move us from entrenched ideological positions to an understanding of the complexities of issues and to decisions based on the application of sound judgment? The article asks us to remember that, “[r]esearch can inform decisions but cannot, in itself, displace the need for judgment.”
Give it a look.
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