Research can help education leaders make high-stakes decisions that affect students, educators, and schools. But with limited time and several studies competing for attention, how can leaders identify trustworthy evidence to guide their choices?
In this episode of Leading Voices, Kirk Walters, Vice President of WestEd’s Center for Teaching and Learning, shares practical guidance for evaluating the quality and relevance of education research, assessing whether programs and products deliver on their promises, and determining how well research findings apply to local contexts. He also offers strategies for navigating research when time is limited and building a culture of evidence-based decision-making that supports effective implementation and better outcomes for students.
How We Can Help
WestEd’s research and evaluation studies meet the highest levels of rigor and protect the confidentiality of data while building evidence and producing insights to support positive outcomes. Learn more about our approach and see examples of our impact.
From the Episode
- Companion Research Trustworthiness Checklist
- Evaluation of Mountaineer Mathematics Master Teachers (M3T): Analysis of Student Math Achievement Data in West Virginia
Further Reading
- Randomized Controlled Trials Remain the Gold Standard for Ed Tech Research by Kirk Walters for The 74
Featured Guest
Kirk Walters
Production Team
Marley Arechiga
Sanjay Pardanani
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