Changing the Education Policy Debate€¦ · The Bass/Moroney family from Dallas, including Jim...
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Winter 2010 Changing the Education Policy Debate BY MONIQUE JOHNSON Despite years of tinkering with education reform in the United States, student performance in grades K through 12 has shown little improvement, and learning in some grades or subjects has failed to keep pace with progress in other nations. Although there are pockets of excellence in classrooms and schools across the country, we have learned little from these successes—and even less from the failures. A team of experts at Stanford’s new Center for Education Policy Analysis (CEPA) aims to reverse this pat- tern of stagnation. Applying scientific methods of analysis to what happens in K–12 classrooms, scholars from education and economics, as well as sociology, political science, business, law, and psychology, and the Hoover Institution are coming up with research-based evidence of what works, what doesn’t, and why. And they are dedicated to putting their results into the hands of decision makers nationwide. “Until now, many education reforms have been guided by fads, anecdotal evidence, or ideological biases. With today’s hard-science research, there is a real opportunity for substantive progress,” explains Susanna Loeb, ’88, professor of education and director of CEPA. Loeb and her colleagues are putting Stanford on the map as the leading academic hub for groundbreaking education policy research. Donors are lining up in support. The Barnett family has joined hands in California to invest in CEPA: Jim, ’80, JD/MBA ’84; Laurey, ’81; and Larry Barnett, ’78, have established an endowed fund in honor of their parents, reflecting their deep dedication to Stanford and confidence in the School of Education, which plays a central role in CEPA’s efforts. “The idea of transforming the world through education really resonated with us,” explains Jim Barnett. “It’s a highly leveraged cause that can bring great benefits to the community at large.” Laurey Barnett adds, “CEPA can make a real difference for the next generation as they face the challenge of an increasingly competitive global marketplace of ideas.” A gift from Laura, ’88, and John Fisher, MBA ’89, of San Francisco, is funding the center’s executive directorship, an essential leadership position. “CEPA can help coalesce the education-related work occurring within different university disciplines and dissemi- nate it on a national scale,” says Laura Fisher, a longtime member of the School of Education’s Advisory Council. The Bass/Moroney family from Dallas, including Jim Bass, JD ’87; Bonnie Bass Smith, ’79; and Barbara Bass Moroney, ’79, and her husband, Jim Moroney, ’78, are particularly intrigued by CEPA’s cross-disciplinary approach and the potential for innovation based on sound research. “Stanford has the credibility on the national stage to come out with a clear, clean, and bold voice on the challenges facing our schools,” says Jim Bass. “We’re excited to see university minds getting behind this issue,” adds Bonnie, “and it’s one of the messages we’ll be taking out as members of the local Stanford Challenge Regional Major Gifts Committee.” Together, the Barnett, Fisher, and Bass/Moroney commitments total more than $2.1 million, giving CEPA a solid foundation from which to carry out its vision. The center is working to establish a centralized “education data warehouse,” of longitudinal information on teachers, students, and schools, which will give scholars ready access to relevant, high-quality data and maximize their research time and focus. Nothing like it exists at present. CEPA also provides a solid training ground for doctoral students working on education policy issues, who, like their faculty counterparts, are based in a wide range of disciplines. “We want to change the debate nationwide, from Sacramento to Washing- ton, D.C.,” says Loeb. “And we’re grateful to have supporters who under- stand the urgency.” n thestanfordchallenge.stanford.edu © 2010 Stanford University. All Rights Reserved. Stanford Benefactor is a publication of the Office of Development n Contact: [email protected] Education policy decisions have a wide-ranging impact on the classroom—from what is taught and who teaches to how student learning is measured. CEPA’s mission is to provide empirical evidence to inform these critical decisions. PHOTO: Douglas Peck Susanna Loeb, ’88, professor of education and director of the Center for Education Policy Analysis PHOTO: L. A. Cicero/Stanford News Service
Transcript of Changing the Education Policy Debate€¦ · The Bass/Moroney family from Dallas, including Jim...
Winter 2010
Changing the Education Policy DebateBY MONIQUE JOHNSON
Despite years of tinkering with education reform in the United States, student performance in grades K through 12 has shown little improvement, and learning in some grades or subjects has failed to keep pace with progress in other nations. Although there are pockets of excellence in classrooms and schools across the country, we have learned little from these successes—and even less from the failures.
A team of experts at Stanford’s new Center for Education Policy Analysis (CEPA) aims to reverse this pat-tern of stagnation. Applying scientific methods of analysis to what happens in K–12 classrooms, scholars from education and economics, as well as sociology, political science, business, law, and psychology, and the Hoover Institution are coming up with research-based evidence of what works, what doesn’t, and why. And they are dedicated to putting their results into the hands of decision makers nationwide.
“Until now, many education reforms have been guided by fads, anecdotal evidence, or ideological biases. With today’s hard-science research, there is a real opportunity for substantive progress,” explains Susanna Loeb, ’88, professor of education and director of CEPA. Loeb and her colleagues are putting Stanford on the map as the leading academic hub for groundbreaking education policy research.
Donors are lining up in support. The Barnett family has joined hands in California to invest in CEPA: Jim, ’80, JD/MBA ’84; Laurey, ’81; and Larry Barnett, ’78, have established an endowed fund in honor of their parents, reflecting their deep dedication to Stanford and confidence in the School of Education, which plays a central role in CEPA’s efforts. “The idea of transforming the world through education really resonated with us,” explains Jim Barnett. “It’s a highly leveraged cause that can bring great benefits to the community at large.” Laurey Barnett adds, “CEPA can make a real difference for the next generation as they face the challenge of an increasingly competitive global marketplace of ideas.”
A gift from Laura, ’88, and John Fisher, MBA ’89, of San Francisco, is funding the center’s executive directorship, an essential leadership position. “CEPA can help coalesce the education-related work occurring within different university disciplines and dissemi-nate it on a national scale,” says Laura Fisher, a longtime member of the School of Education’s Advisory Council.
The Bass/Moroney family from Dallas, including Jim Bass, JD ’87; Bonnie Bass Smith, ’79; and Barbara Bass Moroney, ’79, and her husband, Jim Moroney, ’78, are particularly intrigued by CEPA’s cross-disciplinary approach and the potential for innovation based on sound research. “Stanford has the credibility on the national stage to come out with a clear, clean, and bold voice on the challenges facing our schools,” says Jim Bass. “We’re excited to see university minds getting behind this issue,” adds Bonnie, “and it’s one of the messages we’ll be taking out as members of the local Stanford Challenge Regional Major Gifts Committee.”
Together, the Barnett, Fisher, and Bass/Moroney commitments total more than $2.1 million, giving CEPA a solid foundation from which to carry out its vision. The center is working to establish a centralized “education data warehouse,” of longitudinal information on teachers, students, and schools, which will give scholars ready access to relevant, high-quality data and maximize their research time and focus. Nothing like it exists at present. CEPA also provides a solid training ground for doctoral students working on education policy issues, who, like their faculty counterparts, are based in a wide range of disciplines.
“We want to change the debate nationwide, from Sacramento to Washing-ton, D.C.,” says Loeb. “And we’re grateful to have supporters who under-stand the urgency.” n
t h e s t a n f o r d c h a l l e n g e . s t a n f o r d . e d u
© 2010 Stanford University. All Rights Reserved.
Stanford Benefactor is a publication of the Office of Development n Contact: [email protected]
Education policy decisions have a wide-ranging impact on the classroom—from what is taught and who teaches to how student learning is measured. CEPA’s mission is to provide empirical evidence to inform these critical decisions.
PHOTO: Douglas Peck
Susanna Loeb, ’88, professor of education and director of the Center for Education Policy Analysis
PHOTO: L. A. Cicero/Stanford News Service
