Neglected Evidence - educational research

Washington Monthly, Nov, 1998 by Richard Whitmire

Meanwhile, no one seems to be asking the question Jencks raised: If an entire nation is about to roll the dice on a single reform, why must such an important decision revolve around a 15-year-old study from a single state? In an ideal world we'd have great teachers and small classes. But in the meantime, if the research is telling us something many educators have long suspected--that there's more bang for the buck in improving the quality of the teachers we have, instead of just hiring more--maybe it's time we paid some attention.

RICHARD WHITMIRE is an education reporter for Gannett News Service.