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NWREL NEWS

NWREL Launches Rigorous Scientific Studies

Today, the need for evidence has become as important in the classroom as in the courtroom. In 2002, the Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA) created the Institute of Education Sciences with the mission of “transforming education into an evidence-based field.” ESRA followed on the heels of the No Child Left Behind Act’s demand for using “scientifically based research” when choosing initiatives to improve educational results.

The Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory—which has long been known for its research and development activities—is rising to the challenge by launching a series of rigorous scientific studies that will yield the type of evidence educators can readily use. “Since the Laboratory was founded almost 40 years ago, we’ve considered ourselves as ambassadors of scientific evidence, taking research into the field in ways that stimulate and support its effective application in educational policy and practice,” says Carol Thomas, NWREL’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are building on that tradition by conducting rigorous studies to examine the effects of proposed policies, programs, or practices on academic achievement related to high-priority needs of the region.”

Under the new Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) contract, NWREL will conduct three randomized controlled trials that test the efficacy of interventions in reading, writing, and mathematics in elementary, middle, and high schools. Each of these long-term studies will use a sufficient number of experimental and control groups to ensure rigor. According to Steve Nelson, director of the Office of Service and Planning Coordination, “There will be careful consideration in recruiting and selecting sites so there’s fidelity of implementation, geographical and educational contexts, and size and diversity of student populations.”

Kim Yap, head of the Center for Research and Evaluation, explains that this type of “gold standard” scientific research “increases the certainty of knowing that an intervention—and not other factors—has made a difference.” Yap adds, “You can talk to teachers, parents, and students and they can tell you if something has made a difference, but those are perceptions and not empirical evidence. For gold standard research, you need to isolate other variables so you can say the intervention is solely responsible for the result.”

An external group of nationally known researchers—both methodologists and content experts—will serve as a technical advisory board. The distinguished group (see list below) will critique the design of the studies and offer feedback.

In addition to the experimental studies, a series of shorter term, “fast response” research projects will address issues of special interest to the Northwest. During the next year, these projects will focus on the effectiveness of literacy coaches, professional development policy in science and mathematics, improving principal leadership, the role of external facilitators in school improvement efforts, and parental choice in supplemental educational services.

“These studies rely on extant research, rather than new data,” notes Yap. “For example, we’ve collected a lot of data on literacy coaching as a result of our statewide evaluations of Reading First results. By analyzing that data, we can draw conclusions about the different types of coaching and which are more effective with certain types of students and teachers.” In future years, NWREL will select other fast response topics based on regional needs assessments.

Getting the results of research into practitioners’ hands remains a high priority for the Laboratory. “At NWREL, dissemination has always meant something more than mere distribution of information,” says Dave Wilson, head of the Office of Development and Communication. “For dissemination of knowledge to be meaningful, it must result in some positive effect on policy, practice, and ultimately learner outcomes.”

Teachers and educational leaders will be able to access briefing papers and research reports through postings on a national Laboratory Network Web site as well as NWREL’s own Web site. Upcoming issues of Northwest Education will also share research findings, which will form the basis of future trainings and other products.

Yap stresses that the findings will be helpful to teachers and administrators in terms of practice and policy. “We’re not doing esoteric research,” he says. “We’re trying to help educators find answers.”