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Popular Research Synthesis Reissued

Wouldn’t it be convenient if the most important research on effective schooling practices were boiled down to one manageable, easy-to-read booklet? Good news—that’s what is provided in the new edition of The Schooling Practices That Matter Most. Written by the late Kathleen Cotton, a nationally known and prolific NWREL researcher, this booklet is a perfect example of Cotton’s talent for synthesizing and translating complex material.

In a concise 36 pages, The Schooling Practices That Matter Most suggests 15 well-researched attributes—10 contextual and five instructional—that together may hold the greatest promise for educating all students to high standards. The booklet describes each of the 15 practices, why it was selected, its relation to other identified practices, and key findings on how the practice impacts student performance. An extensive bibliography completes the user-friendly guide.

Cotton concludes the booklet noting, “The areas of practice identified here rest on considerable research weight, are entirely or partially school controllable, and most—though not all—can be implemented without significant new expenditures. We clearly owe it to educators and the public to share what we know about the relative effectiveness of possible arrangements and practices, and I trust that this paper helps define and impart that knowledge.”

The Schooling Practices That Matter Most can be ordered from NWREL’s online product catalog— www.nwrel.org/comm/catalog/detail.asp?RID=16470—or by calling 800-547-6339, ext. 519.