Practitioner Perspectives on Emerging Research Needs and Improving Relevance in Education - Research - March 3, 2014

Oct 15, 2026

Practitioner perspectives summarize how a National Center for Education Research and National Center for Special Education Research technical working group convened on March 3, 2014 to identify education research priorities and improve practical relevance. The discussion addresses effective dissemination for teachers and policymakers, key research needs across education levels and early intervention, and approaches for postsecondary and career readiness. It also highlights collaboration models and faster grant mechanisms that can inform timely policy decisions and classroom practice.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Technical Working Group Summary

Background and purpose

Session 1: Making research available through effective dissemination

Using short, usable findings for practitioners and policymakers

Research sources for major new studies

Conducting research in schools with early practitioner involvement

Linking practitioners and researchers for timely technical assistance

Improving policy relevance with quick-turnaround grants

Returning local data to teachers

Practitioner Perspectives on Emerging Research Needs and Improving Relevance in Education Research March 3, 2014 Technical Working Group Summary The National Center for Education Research (NCER) and the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER), in the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) at the U.S. Department of Education, convened a Technical Working Group of practitioners on March 3, 2014 to provide input on research needs in education and how research could be more relevant and useful to the field. This effort was, in part, a response to a 2013 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that found that IES has, through its grant making and training activities, substantially improved the quality and rigor of education research since its inception in 2002, but recommended that IES do more to ensure that its supported research is timely and relevant. The Technical Working Group (TWG) consisted of a group of expert-practitioners in the field of education focused on a range of topics and working in state education and legislative offices, districts, and schools as well as research and development organizations, non-profit organizations, and postsecondary institutions. Collectively, the participants’ expertise represents a range of backgrounds across a range of content areas, student populations from early childhood through postsecondary education, and practice. 1 The Technical Working Group (TWG) discussion was organized into five broad sessions: (1) making research available through effective dissemination; (2) research needs for elementary, middle, and highschool; (3) research needs for early intervention; (4) research needs for post-secondary/career readiness; and (5) researcher-practitioner collaborations. 2 The following includes a summary of each of the TWG sessions in order. Making Research Available Through Effective Dissemination During the first session, the TWG members discussed the need for researchers to help practitioners and policymakers understand the practical implications of research findings. TWG members believe researchers’ expertise is in judging the quality of evidence behind findings. Researchers have a responsibility to highlight where evidence is strong, where it is weak, and to put the results in context. In addition, researchers should not be afraid to draw conclusions. Researchers also need to understand that practitioners and policymakers are not going to read a long report. Teachers are pressed for time and need brief, easily understandable and usable findings. Summaries and policy briefs are key ways to disseminate research results to promote use. One TWG member mentioned that literature reviews are also extremely helpful, as are the IES practice guides. However, other TWG members either had not heard of IES before the meeting or did not use materials from the Department of Education at all. In general, researchers need to make a more concerted effort to communicate and to disseminate information to practitioners. To learn about major new studies, the TWG members reported that they currently rely on three major sources: ( 1) association reports (e.g., National Center for Teacher Quality, Brookings, Education Trust, 1 Refer to the list of participants included in Appendix B. 2 Refer to the agenda included in Appendix A. Data Quality Campaign); (2) media coverage (e.g., EdWeek); and (3) blogs. Few of the TWG members were aware of the What Works Clearinghouse. State leaders, district superintendents, school principals, and teachers tend to learn primarily from their peers in other states, districts, schools, and classrooms. However, one TWG member noted that her state does use research information when possible and described using research-recommended methods for incorporating information into their state educator evaluations. In terms of the conduct of research in schools, the TWG members discussed the importance of involving districts and schools earl

FAQs

Why was the technical working group convened on March 3, 2014?

It was convened by NCER and NCSER to provide practitioner input on education research needs and ways to make research more relevant and useful to the field.

What did participants say about disseminating research findings?

They emphasized that practitioners and policymakers will not read long reports, so brief summaries and policy briefs are key, along with helping users understand evidence strength and context.

What research-implementation improvements were proposed for schools and districts?

Participants recommended involving districts and schools early to support design and data collection, promoting buy-in and helping researchers avoid pitfalls while enabling collaborative research through partnership grants.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Riley West