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Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Anything you research, I can research better
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At least once a day I get an email or piece of actual mail touting some new study. The pr person typically writes that this new study provides all the proof for why the nation or Georgia or Gwinnett County should try the latest education fad.
One study says big schools are better; another says smaller campuses are the way to go. One report says charter schools are superior, a second study touts the benefits of private schools and a third claims traditional public schools remain the strongest.
Unlike other industries or subjects, schools have so many variables it is hard to determine whether a new method really works. Schools never implement just one thing. Sure a school may try uniforms, but that same year the principal may start new training for teachers and a better reading program. How can you say one reform worked over another?
What about other indicators: family income, parent involvement, teacher experience and the amount of money spent on each student? Any of those factors can sway the success of a new program.
With all the contradicting reports and studies out there, what are we to believe? If we can’t trust these studies, how do we make informed decisions about what will work in our schools?
