April 1999 Book Compiles Research Schools Can Use
Incorporating the findings of more than 1,400 studies and summaries, the fourth edition of NWREL's research synthesis on effective schooling practices debuts this spring. First published in 1984 and updated in 1990 and 1995, the synthesis is a collection of research findings relevant to school improvement efforts.
While the first three editions were published by NWREL under the title Effective Schooling Practices: A Research Synthesis, the fourth edition has a new name and publisher. Now called Research You Can Use To Improve Results, the synthesis is being published and disseminated by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).
The new edition adds findings from educational research on topics not previously reviewed, such as preparing students for effective citizenship and for lifelong learning. New research on school size and updated information on educational technology are also presented. Existing topics-especially the section on leadership, planning, and learning goals-have been expanded.
The most significant change in this edition, however, is the organization of the information. Readers familiar with the earlier editions may recall that research findings were grouped according to level—classroom, school, and district—to reflect the way the research base itself is organized. But NWREL trainers and school-leadership teams found that users prefer the research to be organized by topic. As a result, the latest edition of the synthesis is organized topically, and then further divided according to the classroom, school, and district levels.
"This was undertaken in order to offer research in the form that is most digestible and usable for the reader," says Kathleen Cotton, the NWREL researcher who compiled and updated the synthesis.
The eight major topic areas for research findings include:
- Leadership, planning, and learning goals
- Management and organization
- Instruction and instructional improvement
- Interactions
- Equity
- Special programs
- Assessment
- Parent and community involvement
Within each of these eight general topics come the classroom- , school- , and district-level divisions. Each division contains several "practice clusters"—a grouping of research-based practices that is followed by a list of the key literature in support of those practices. For example, under the topic heading "Leadership, Planning, and Research Goals," one of the practice clusters at the classroom level is "teachers use a preplanned curriculum to guide instruction." Among the six specific practices listed is "teachers establish timelines for unit or lesson objectives so they can use the calendar for instructional planning." The pertinent research is listed after the practices.
The research reports cited at the end of each cluster were selected partly for ease of access, and most are readily available at a county, university, or other well-stocked library. Full citations for the reports are found in the updated bibliography at the end of the synthesis. To make it easier for users to locate documents cited in the bibliography, classic and seminal reports have been retained, while outdated, less rigorous items and items that were difficult to find have been removed. The bibliography provides the most complete information possible for each source cited, including journal volumes, numbers, months/seasons, and years. Document numbers are provided for documents available through the U.S. Department of Education's ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) system.
Originally intended to support schools being trained in the Laboratory's Onward to Excellence school improvement process, the synthesis has continued to grow both in scope and popularity. Combined sales of the first three editions total nearly 200,000 copies.
"The synthesis is really a living document," says Cotton. "It will never be finished. There is an ongoing process to make it better."
Those exploring or involved in school improvement and restructuring efforts can use the synthesis to identify research-based practices related to the goals they set. The classroom, school, and district divisions address specific practices that have been shown to cultivate positive student achievement, attitudes, and social behavior at each respective level. The synthesis can stimulate discussions of instructional issues, guide the development of local improvements, and aid in decisionmaking as school improvements take place. As staff plan, implement, and monitor the use of these practices, they can draw from additional research and the experience of others who have pursued similar goals. When integrated into a local plan for action, these practices can be a significant help in improving schools, according to the author.
The evidence supporting the assertions made in the synthesis stem from several kinds of research investigations, including school-effects research, teacher-effects research, research on instructional leadership, curriculum-alignment and curriculum-integration research, and research on educational change.
These research findings, coupled with the experience of Onward to Excellence and other school improvement efforts, offer a clear and optimistic message: Schools do make a difference, and teachers and administrators can substantially influence student success, Cotton says. Readers can review the findings supported in the synthesis and, based on local decisions and needs, use them to develop processes for attaining their own school goals.
Individual copies of Research You Can Use To Improve Results are $27.95 for ASCD members and $34.95 for nonmembers. Prices do not include shipping and handling. For ordering information, contact ASCD by phone at 1-800-933-2723, or write ASCD, 1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714.
"Those involved in school improvement and restructuring efforts can use the synthesis to identify research-based practices related to the goals they set."
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