“The Research Says”: Definitions and Uses of a Key Policy Term in Federal Law and Local School Board Deliberations

摘要: Education policy in the United States takes shape through debates of diverse interlocutors interacting various locales. Parents, teachers, administrators, community members, and others deliberate about education public meetings middle school gymnasiums, casual conversations at neighborhood gatherings, structured district offices, elsewhere. Negotiating these constituencies, thousands board members across nation bear much responsibility for crafting as they make decisions curriculum, instruction, personnel, finances. Historically, have been regarded local matters, given that each presumably knows best how to educate its children (Graham, 2005; Reese, 2005). However, recent decades, a national push standards has confronted character policy. Frustrated with flagging academic achievement, many federal state policymakers shifted focus 1980s from inputs outcomes, demanding greater accountability advocating testing measures success. As result, officials, who direct daily operations schools classrooms, face an increasing number prescriptions designed guide their decision-making (McGuinn, 2006; Rothstein, 2004). In this environment, research emerged key term linking debates. view some analysts, serves demands by promising sound basis may avoid partisan conflict (Coburn, Toure, & Yamashita, 2009; Honig Coburn, 2008; Slavin, 2002). Exemplifying aspiration, No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which represents codification movement level, explicitly mentions "research" over 100 times (Smith, 2003). The legislation calls ranging reading instruction teacher training drop-out prevention (Honig 2008). For instance, NCLB (2002) seeks "to enhance early language, literacy, prereading development preschool age children, particularly those low-income families, strategies professional are based on scientifically research" (p. 1552). Elsewhere, law "promoting strong teaching skills mathematics science teachers educators, including integrating reliable [on] methods" 1645). And constitute only few applications envisioned research. Far resolving disagreement, propel controversy (as well other issues), raising important questions argument scholars. First, while foregrounding highlights expertise policy, people debating topic-board parents, students, others-address issues exceed institutional confines John Dewey (1916/ 1944) noted his discussion democratic impulses, broadest sense constitutes communication social practices, beliefs, values. sustains "social continuity life" communicating "habits doing, thinking, feeling older younger" (pp. 2, 3). Expertise offers no privileged perspective communicative process, instead interpellates citizens. Second, remain decision makers negotiate complex potentially conflicting roles elected experts, members; different cannot be subsumed under model idealized vision roles, often must balance understanding technical problems awareness interests values (Tracy, 2010). …