Voucher proponents have increasingly pursued empirical evidence on the effectiveness of vouchers as a form of education improvement, in addition to advocating for vouchers on moral or ethical grounds. Voucher proponents contend that randomized assignment studies of students in voucher programs have consistently confirmed the effectiveness of…

While scholars develop research with clear implications for policy and practice, this work has been largely ineffective in influencing thought beyond the academy. In this article, we explore challenges researchers face in designing public scholarship to influence policy. To illustrate, we profile one such effort, the "Opportunity to Learn…

This paper presents a case study on the transfer of research into policy and describes how evidence was used to inform, develop, frame and ultimately agree a national strategy for research and data on children's lives in Ireland. The paper highlights key issues arising in the research-policy exchange, but also argues that evidence on its own,…

Current economic conditions and the increasing competition for government funding are leading to an increased focus on the impact of research. Measuring the impact of research is difficult because not all impacts are direct and some can be negative or result from the identification of problems that require a non-research response. The time between…

Reasons for underutilization of social research in public policy-making and the complexity of the concept of utilization are discussed. Among the factors affecting underutilization are the limitations of the social sciences and shortcomings of specific policy research. A common explanation of underutilization is the allegedly long-established…

Researchers from 18 different countries as well as representatives of UNICEF and UNESCO attended a conference on international perspectives in child development and social policy. Topics discussed included knowledge and ideology, goals of different social groups, communication problems, and the relationship of research to practice. Bibliographic…

Points out that educational research has more critics than supporters. Until researchers convince lawmakers, educators, and taxpayers that research is useful, support for research will not be forthcoming. The constraints on and accomplishments of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement are discussed. (VM)

The social sciences tend to address easily quantifiable aspects of human life and produce statistical findings of value only to scholars and scientists. The Hite studies, which address ordinary human concerns and present their findings in a form easily understood by the general public, represent a model for the future. (Author/RM)

Discusses legal, ethical, and pragmatic issues concerning psychologists' willingness or unwillingness to share data from Federally sponsored research projects with other researchers and the public. Presents a proposal to mandate data sharing, and discusses technical and ethical costs and benefits of such a proposal. (Author/MJL)

Reviews some major characteristics of ethnography as they apply to policy issues and policy formulation, and ethnography's utility from the perspective of how public educational policy is made. Discusses the potential contributions of ethnography and the responsibilities ethnographers must consider if their work is to have an impact on public…

The art of relating educational research to public policy is still primitive. Educational policy is formed mainly by tradition and the political pressure of interest groups, while educational researchers study questions determined by the scientific community. Educational research has not noticeably influenced policy because trained researchers…

In response to H. Lee Swanson's paper, "Toward a Metatheory of Learning Disabilities," this counterpoint addresses the role of basic versus applied research, limitations of the procedure proposed by Swanson for establishing external validity and proving the metatheory, and limitations of metatheoretical research with regard to developing…

The answers of scholars and leaders in the fields of early education and child development to four broad interview questions concerning sociopolitical factors influencing early childhood care and education have been organized topically in the chapters of this book. In chapter 1, technical and ethical problems in early identification of actual and…

Examines some of the factors that determine whether and how psychological research will affect public policies regarding children. Stresses the importance of the political climate in influencing research utilization and says that researchers must know when to introduce their findings into the policy making process. (Author/MJL)

Policy considerations that affect immigrant ethnic minorities in the Netherlands are addressed by the articles in this volume. The articles cover the following topics: (1) the recent history of migration and general outline of government policy toward immigrant groups; (2) housing and the concentration or dispersal of ethnic group populations; (3)…