Opinion
School & District Management Letter to the Editor

The Role of Public Scholarship

February 12, 2019 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

I read the recent Commentary collection on public scholarship (“Want to Be a Public Scholar? Here’s What You Need to Know,” January 16, 2019). After 50 years in public education, I’ve reluctantly come to the conclusion that education-research findings have little effect on the development of education policy. There are several reasons why this is the case.

Most of the research in education is not very compelling. Too many empirical studies are never replicated, and there are numerous insignificant findings on many educational topics. Studies are also often based upon small populations, and few would be impactful for policy considerations.

I’ve also come to realize that policymakers consider more than just research findings when arriving at educational policy. Research often loses out to cost or lack of community acceptance to change. As Cornelia Dean noted in her insightful 2017 book Making Sense of Science: Separating Substance from Spin, the public arena is ruled by emotions, ideology, and sometimes prejudice.

Policymakers also assess new information based on their prior perceptions and tend to value information dismissing facts that don’t fit their views. Still, I’d like to believe that increased engagement between researchers and key policymakers can make a difference in students’ lives.

However, researchers who travel this path need to be aware of potential drawbacks. Overhyped research findings based upon a weak foundation of studies can easily slip into advocacy, thus public release of findings before they are carefully vetted can be problematic. Some professional journals have long refused to publish any research article whose contents have substantially been made public before publication in the journal, which may be a serious disincentive for researchers.

William J. Price

Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Mich.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the February 13, 2019 edition of Education Week as The Role of Public Scholarship

Events

School Climate & Safety Webinar Engaging Every Student: How to Address Absenteeism and Build Belonging
Gain valuable insights and practical solutions to address absenteeism and build a more welcoming and supportive school environment.
Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Social-Emotional Learning 2025: Examining Priorities and Practices
Join this free virtual event to learn about SEL strategies, skills, and to hear from experts on the use and expansion of SEL programs.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Inside PLCs: Proven Strategies from K-12 Leaders
Join an expert panel to explore strategies for building collaborative PLCs, overcoming common challenges, and using data effectively.
Content provided by Otus

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management What Latino Superintendents Say It Will Take to Grow Their Ranks
Three Latino superintendents talked about the direct and indirect paths to building a pipeline of future district leaders of color.
4 min read
Vector image of many professionals, diversity, highlighting hispanic.
Liz Yap/Education Week and iStock/Getty
School & District Management Opinion Your School Needs a Teacher-Mentorship Program
We all know how critical the first few years of teaching are. Here's how to set teachers up for success.
Pamela Slifer
4 min read
Mentorship development of young teachers. School leaders make the teaching profession more sustainable by developing a robust mentoring program in their school.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management School Leaders Rush to Manage Deportation Fears
School and district leaders describe a chaotic time amid changes to federal immigration policies.
9 min read
A line of school children with obscured faces board a school bus on their way to school.
E+/Getty
School & District Management Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About The Superintendent Persona?
The superintendent plays a crucial role in purchasing decisions. Test your knowledge of this key buyer persona and see how your results stack up with your peers.