[NLA] "breaking news"

[Awilderast@aol.com]

Eileen,

OK, here goes again.

1)  Well-designed research can make a link between the field and 
policy-makers.
    Policy-makers should have access to information from the field, that is     
gathered in some organized way;  a lot of the gathering can be done by those 
in  the field themselves, or outsiders asking good questions and trying to 
see     commonalities, differences, and how they come about.  Experience in 
the field is    really useful in making good decisions.  Excellent 
information (valid, reliable,)  has to be gotten to policy-makers.  Formal 
research can do this.

4)  Nope, practicioners' observations alone CAN'T be enough to convince 
everyone.  I    think 5 states have been represented by practicioner comments 
this week, all  different.  

5)  Nope, I'm not saying policy-makers aren't in their right minds.  I'm 
saying that     good policy comes when there is a connection to the field, 
"askew" policy comes    when there aren't connections to the field (whatever 
field).  How much good info     have policy makers been given? (Ideologues 
are a confounding variable.)

6)  Disagreement?  Test the variables
    a)  Look at the roles each is in, does this influence the information 
they get?  If           so, how?  Volunteer?  Former high school principle? 

    b)  How about the social context? Rural Vermont and Barrio New York?

7)  Disagreement?   Ask them to reach consensus and prioritize--what things 
are     more important than other things?  (This is a process answer.)

8)  Disagreement?  Have them check the evidence and the assumptions being 
made    on that evidence.  If you, knowledgeable outsider, have info to 
insert, insert it   here.

9)  Disagreement?  Suggest they run a pilot(s) themselves that tests their  
asumptions.

10) I think people on the list are complaining about the RESULTS of a policy    
decision.  Suppose the NRS had resulted in increased enrollment due to more     
careful assessment and consequent better teaching?

10) There is also the American obsession with measurement, tools, gadgets.  
Goes    back at least as far as the American System of Manufacturing and the 
concept of  interchangeable parts.  First tested on guns.

Policymakers design boats. Maybe they have sailed, maybe not.  Sailors test 
boats.  A good idea to get valid info from bottom up and top down.  A flawed 
analogy, but VALID INFORMATION is a really scarce resource.

Andrea