Evidence and Rigor: Scrutinizing the Rhetorical Embrace of Evidence-Based Decision Making

Source: Educational Researcher, 41(3): 98-101. April 2012

This essay describes the approach the U.S. Department of Education has taken in its Increasing Educational Productivity project.

The authors argue that the department’s actual practice in this instance has fallen short of the rhetorical embrace of evidence-based decision making.

The authors also explain the potential harm done when leaders do not heed the importance of grounding policy in high-quality research.