Evidence-based policymaking can transform the delivery of education services, restore public trust in schools, and improve outcomes for students. It can cut through the noise of political and cultural divisions and give decision makers clarity on how to prioritize the use of limited resources. And it can help build a shared understanding of where the systems designed to serve kids are working well—and where they aren’t—so that leaders can ground their decisions in facts rather than anecdotes and in real student needs rather than perceptions of them.
Given the many challenges to U.S. public education, students, educators and communities need nothing less than excellent support. By harnessing the power of evidence-based policymaking, state boards of education can make faster progress toward that excellence. When government leaders build data and evidence use into the fabric of their organizations, they are better positioned to accomplish the following:
- understand students’ needs;
- strategically and equitably invest in evidence-based strategies aligned with those needs;
- learn more about the impact of their investments, policies, and programs on students’ opportunities and outcomes; and
- continuously improve the state’s education
system.
Harnessing the Power of Evidence-Based Policymaking
Also In this Issue
Effective State Education Governance
By Arnold F. ShoberNo one model is clearly superior, but relationships, talent, and shared loyalty are marks of governance systems that get things done.
Roadmap to Excellence: Strategic Planning for State Boards
By Abigail Potts and Paolo DeMariaSavvy boards can increase the odds their plans will live, breathe, and have measurable impact.
State Takeovers: No Silver Bullet for School District Improvement
By Beth SchuelerOn average, takeover fails to improve achievement measures, but how it is done matters a lot.
Harnessing the Power of Evidence-Based Policymaking
By Heather Boughton and Sara KerrState boards should lean into education data and work to overcome challenges to doing so.
State Boards and the Governance of Early Childhood Education
By Elliot RegensteinAs states seek to bring coherence to the disparate systems that have a hand in early education and care, state boards have key roles to play.
The Role of Teachers Unions in School Governance during COVID-19
By Sara Dahill-Brown and Lesley LaveryWhile relationships with school leaders were contentious in places, many districts benefited from collaborative ones.
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