Surge in Company-Sponsored Studies Sparks Concern
Potential conflicts of interest arising amid push for proof of effectiveness.
Slick marketing fliers touting Scholastic Inc.’s education products are designed to coax customers into buy mode. But for the discerning consumer, the New York City-based publisher is armed with something more substantial: dense reports filled with data designed to prove the effectiveness of its offerings.
The company’s education division employs four full-time staff members to oversee its research program. More and more, though, Scholastic pays outside researchers to study the impact of its products on student achievement. It must do so, the company says, to satisfy educators’ appetite for evidence that has the added credibility of an independent analysis and goes beyond an anecdotal advertising pitch.
“At this point in time, most people can sniff out the difference,” said Kristin M. DeVivo, the vice president of research and validation at Scholastic Education. “It is important for us to be very comprehensive and thoughtful about our...
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