A decade ago, it was disconcertingly easy to find education leaders who dismissed student achievement data and systematic research as having only limited utility when it came to improving schools or school systems. Today, we have come full circle. Educators have made great strides in using data, and it is hard to attend an education conference or…

The focus article by Coburn and Turner (this issue) seeks to provide a comprehensive framework for understanding data use in the context of data-use interventions. This commentary focuses on what the authors see as a glaring omission in what is otherwise a valuable framework: the issue of "useful data." It is their contention that the usefulness…

This article explores ways in which evidence contributes to individual thought and to the formation of shared knowledge and shared decisions. It also distinguishes among sources of evidence intended to attribute causality and those designed merely to describe. It is based on data from a naturalistic study of 16 school districts. (BW)

In this article, the author reflects on three or four main areas where policy and research coincide or conflict as exemplified in the varied articles of the "Cambridge Journal of Education" and suggests some of the things that he and other authors might learn from each other. Before considering those areas where the researcher philosopher and the…

The basic position taken in this paper is that the data collected under the Title I evaluation and reporting system can be used more effectively than they have been traditionally in making decisions about Title I programs, and that other types of data can and should be used in shaping and improving Title I programs. This paper combines information…

The Hunter Model is designed to guide behavior, predict outcomes, and stimulate research. Those who seek more may be expecting too much; those who find less may not be using the model appropriately. (Author)

This paper makes a case for the existence and study of the wisdom of practice by looking at educational practitioners' concepts as its locus and source. (These concepts may also be described as the accumulated "folk wisdom" of the teaching community). These communal concepts, part of an accumulated lore regarding teaching and education…

Critiques attempts to resurrect aspects of positivism and argues that the work of certain post-positivist philosophers (in particular, Toulmin's discussions of the role that purpose plays in rational decisionmaking) provides a more adequate response to the problems associated with relativism. (Author/GC)

Gives a number of examples of the uses of business games for research into behavioral and organizational issues. The requirements and advantages of using games for research purposes are outlined. (SK)

Administrators cannot afford to remain ignorant of the work of neuroscientists over the last 30 years. The findings of brain research can help administrators gain a better understanding of decision making. The author lists four benefits to education that administrators can provide through greater knowledge of the brain. (WD)

Presents an account of the Mondale Initiative, i.e., an attempt during the period from 1967-73 to develop a national system of social indicators to improve social policy. The role of social scientists in national decision making and policy formation is examined, and a legislative history of the Mondale Initiative is appended. (51 references) (LRW)

Discusses trends in two-year college research, defines research, and poses questions that must be answered before research can be used effectively in management. Outlines steps in a decision-making system that converts data into planning concepts. Explains the need for a master plan and describes the master-planning process. (DD)

The new Features Editor of the "Educational Researcher" articulates policies, procedures, and rules that guide the manuscript review process. The issues confronting the editor in this field highlight larger issues of the meaning of research and scholarly discourse. (SLD)

The linkage between policy research and policy formation can be strengthened through the use of qualitative methods. Currently, the linkage between policy research and policy decision making is tenuous; there are differences in philosophy, function, self-definition, and criteria by which success is measured. Although research cannot dictate the…

Discussed are two constraints that should be kept in mind when using research findings: (1) a recognition that researcher and practitioner work in different contexts; and (2) research findings should not be regarded as prescriptive, but rather as suggestive of ideas which may aid decision making. (RM)