The National Education Policy Center (NEPC) is a treasure for those of us who see “educational studies” touted in the media, often by reporters who don’t know enough to evaluate the quality of the research. NEPC scholars take a careful look at those reports and point out what are often sloppy research practices, sometimes intentional, sometimes unintentional. They also publish valuable research of their own.
Every year the NEPC gives out Bunkum Awards for the shoddiest education research of the year. David Berliner, who is a Regents’ Professor Emeritus and former dean of the College of Education at Arizona State University (a few of the NEPC folks have ASU connections) presents this year’s awards. ALEC, Students First, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Brookings Institute all get their comeuppance.
(Suggestion: Sign up for the NEPC Publication Alerts if you want to learn the latest on both the best and worst education research out there.)
This article appears in May 22-28, 2014.
I’m a fan of David Berliner. David wrote “The Manufactured Crisis” in 1995, revealing that A Nation at Risk in 1983, was filled with myths propagated by supporters of vouchers. Blaming public education became the vehicle to push vouchers and the movement is now 30 years old. So where are all the great achievements from the charter and voucher movement?