MSU professors help research environmental reform policy

Six panels of education experts, including three MSU professors, have been tapped to assist President-elect Barack Obama’s administration with an education reform initiative.

More than 400 individuals from a broad range of organizations, including the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation, registered for the meeting last month in Washington, D.C.

As part of the National Academy of Education’s Education Policy White Papers Initiative, the group teamed up with national researchers to identify the major educational issues facing Obama’s incoming administration, said Robert Floden, a university distinguished professor.

The National Academy of Education promotes education research and its use in policy formation, and Floden served on the steering committee for its initiative. Officials said additional meetings could occur following Obama’s presidential inauguration in January.

Suzanne Wilson, chairwoman of MSU’s Department of Teacher Education, and William Schmidt, a university distinguished professor, each participated in a panel as well. Wilson chaired the panel on teacher quality, and Schmidt served on the panel focusing on standards, assessments and accountability.

“This is important because most of the time, education policy is made by people’s opinion and their own personal experience and not informed by educational research,” Wilson said.

The group assembled teams of education researchers to analyze statistics for six areas: Equity and excellence in American education; math and science education; reading and literacy education; standards and assessments; teacher quality; and time for learning.

“We wanted to cover some major areas we thought the federal government would have to make some policy decisions in the coming months,” Floden said. “We wanted to pick ones with enough research evidence to provide some assistance to policy-makers when making policies.”

Scholars summarized their findings and gave recommendations on the six areas for educational improvements at the meeting and panels were met with support from those in attendance, Wilson said.

“The reception was very good,” Wilson said. “People were enthusiastic.”

Engineering sophomore Michelle Flachs said although the panels will help bring attention to education, panel members could benefit from hearing students’ input as well.

“With the stuff going on in education right now, it’s important for people directly involved with students to talk to the new administration and tell them what they think students need,” Flachs said. “Maybe they could talk to students as well.”