"Follow the science." The message seems straightforward: Identify best practice according to the evidence, and then do it. But it's not quite that simple in the real world. It's also clear that "the science" is constantly contested, both by scientists and the larger public. That's the essence of science: no one gets the exclusive right to claim what the evidence says, much less a permanent right to do so. Yet for all its limitations and complexities, "following the science" is one of the primary ways that we humans have made progress over the centuries. It has allowed us to solve problems at a global scale like modern farming that feeds billions, why infant mortality has plummeted, and life spans have expanded in ways that our ancestors could have never imagined. So, the editors identify what the science tells us about evidence-based practices in elementary schools and, based on the experiences of highly effective elementary schools, describe what this looks like in the real world of classrooms. Following the science into its application in this way-and sharing how it works on the ground-provides workable answers to key questions rather than challenging every teacher, school, or district, to figure out those answers on their own.
Mike Petrilli is president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, research fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, executive editor of Education Next, and a Distinguished Senior Fellow for Education Commission of the States. An award-winning writer and appears frequently on television and radio. Petrilli helped to create the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement, the Policy Innovators in Education Network and Young Education Professionals. He serves on the advisory boards of the Association of American Educators, MDRC, and National Association of Charter School Authorizers. He lives with his family in Bethesda, Maryland. Barbara Davidson is an education industry executive with deep hands-on experience in K-12 education policy, practice, and operations. She started her career in education as a teacher of learning-disabled students in Norfolk, Virginia, has trained teachers on behalf of two educational publishing companies, as well as serving in key leadership positions at the U.S. Department of Education under two secretaries of education. Barbara is the former Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at the National Council for Teacher Quality (NCTQ) and has led StandardsWork in executing high-profile projects on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education, the National Assessment Governing Board, the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence, the Indiana Higher Education Commission, the District of Columbia Public Schools, National Endowment for the Humanities, Texas Education Agency, the Center for Education Reform, and others. She lives in Barnesville, MD with her son Aidan. Kathleen Carroll is owner of Kathleen Carroll Communications, a full-service editorial company founded in 2014. Prior, she had a 14-year career in daily newspapers and was the founding Publications Editor for TNTP, a national non-profit education management firm. Kathleen has won top prizes for long-form education and investigative reporting, as well as a dozen national and regional awards for narrative, commentary, and public service journalism, from organizations including Investigative Reporters and Editors, Education Writers Association, Society of Silurians, Livingston Awards, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Newswomen's Club of New York, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the New Jersey Press Association.
