Each edition of the IDRA Newsletter strives to provide many different perspectives on the issues in education topics discussed and to define its significance in the state and national dialogue. This issue focuses on Using Data for Action and includes: (1) Community and School Use of Data for College Readiness and Postsecondary Success (Karmen…

Based on a 2010-11 study involving senior researchers from seven disciplines, this article explores critically some of the diverse interpretations of impact in different disciplines, sub-fields and modes of research, and researchers' views about how these interpretations articulate with top-down impact agendas and with university structures…

In February 2009, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) commissioned RAND Europe to review approaches to evaluating the impact of research as part of their wider work programme to develop new arrangements for the assessment and funding of research--referred to as the Research Excellence Framework (REF). The objectives were 1) to…

A review of the literature reveals that the knowledge professors of educational administration disseminate is not used in administrator preparation programs. This holds true both in the design of programs and in the use of specific methodologies in the management of the programs. The implementation of a range of management technologies, preferably…

Education currently faces a crisis in curriculum reform which presents a danger to pedagogical programs. Changes in teacher education programs should be based on research and should be accomplished by a reflective and rational process. Methods of reform are explored. (DF)

A study conducted in 1987 focused on the extent to which a graduate introductory educational research course was helpful to the students who had taken it. Responses from 340 former students indicated that they had been able to utilize in their jobs basic skills developed in the course. The purpose of the present study, which focuses on those 340…

Some ways in which research on student financial aid can be conducted and used to further institutional goals and objectives are presented. Four topics for inclusion in an institution's research agenda are suggested: recruiting, measuring the aid program's effectiveness, expanding aid resources, and analyzing family financial capacity. (Author/MSE)

Developed an evaluation based on R. Stake's Countenance Model of Program Evaluation (1967) to evaluate the Senior Block Field Experience Program at Mississippi State University, a teacher education program. Results identify strengths and weaknesses in all components of the program. (SLD)

The problems of integrating theory and practice cannot be understood without reference to the ecology and environment in which teacher education occurs. One factor defining the present character of Canadian teacher education is the fact that, when teachers' colleges moved onto the university campus, they became subject to the university's norms,…

Presents a ranking of the top United States universities in their quest for intellectual property, commercial partners, and profits. Bases rankings on a consideration of patent numbers, patent quality, and licensing revenues. (WRM)

Critics of Early Field Experience (EFE) for preservice teachers have cited a need for shifting focus away from logistical questions (e.g., quantity of time spent in the field, legal questions, administrative schedules) and toward promoting a critically meaningful educational experience for preservice teachers. This paper describes an EFE at…

A report is presented on the progress of the Applying Research to Teacher Education (ARTE) Research Utilization in Elementary Teacher Education (RUETE) study. The purpose of the study is to develop preservice instruction incorporating current research findings on effective instruction and effective schools and to assess the impact of the…

Reviews some current criticisms of teacher education and the nature of recent reform proposals. Presents a series of propositions dealing with (1) potential reform of teacher education's substance and process and (2) governance of certification, accreditation, and the link between research community and teacher education process. (CMG)

Methods of evaluating college and university student financial aid policies are examined in two case studies of institutions using different aid strategies: one that rewarded a few high-achieving students and one that emphasized student self-help. It is concluded that such research can be helpful to institutions in determining appropriate…

This book was developed in response to audience interest in a symposium sponsored by the American Educational Research Association (annual meeting, Washington, D.C., 1987). The book addresses international perspectives on research in teacher education and offers the following contributions from scholars from 12 countries: "The Role Played by…