No Success Like Failure?

From Russell Gersten at Education Week:

“Like a steady drip from a leaky faucet, the experimental studies being released this school year by the federal Institute of Education Sciences are mostly producing the same results: ‘No effects,’ ‘No effects,’ ‘No effects.’ ” So began Education Week ’s description this past spring of findings reported in rigorous, more scientific evaluations from the 7-year-old research agency. ( “‘No Effects’ Studies Raising Eyebrows,” April 1, 2009.)

The reports evaluated the impact of a wide array of federally supported programs and practices, in areas such as professional development, after-school programs, mentoring of new teachers, and Title I instruction. Often—though not always—the results were “no effects.”

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