Richard Anderson to be panelist at educational policy forum in D.C.
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
Contact: Gregory White (202) 334-2340
gwhite@naeducation.org
PUBLIC FORUM ON EDUCATION POLICY IN TRANSITION
TO BE HELD AT THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
Highlights from National Academy of Education White Papers to be Presented
A public forum on Education Policy in Transition, hosted at the National Academy of
Sciences in Washington, DC, will allow researchers and policy leaders to engage with
advisers to President-elect Barack Obama and Congressional staff in a discussion of some
of the most urgent issues in education policy. The event will take place at the National
Academy of Sciences Building, 21st and C Streets, NW, on November 18, 2008 from
8:30 am – 1:30 pm. The forum will feature key findings and selected recommendations
from the National Academy of Education (NAEd) white papers initiative, the topics of
which address:
-- The future of accountability and the alignment of education standards, assessments, and curriculum;
-- Equity and excellence in academic achievement and other educational outcomes;
-- Potential benefits of increased time for learning;
-- Teacher quality;
-- Effective instruction and curriculum for mathematics, science, and reading; and,
-- The evolving federal role in promoting high quality education research and development.
Linda Darling-Hammond, Stanford University professor and adviser to President-elect Obama will be the featured luncheon speaker.
Former Colorado Governor Roy Romer, who provided policy advice to the initiative in
his role as Chairman of Strong American Schools, states: “The white papers will help the
next President focus on the most pressing issues facing our public schools, and they will
form a necessary bridge between policy-makers and the academic community. President-
elect Obama should act on meaningful education reform in his first hundred days in
office.” Romer’s Republican counterpart, Marc Lampkin, who is the Executive Director
of Strong American Schools, agrees adding: “These white papers, informed by the best
research in the field, will give the President-elect and the 111th Congress a guide for
much needed school reform.” The NAEd white papers project is supported through a
grant provided by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), in conjunction with RPA’s
sponsorship of Strong American Schools (SAS). SAS is a nonpartisan campaign
supported by The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation promoting sound education policies for all Americans.
According to National Academy of Education member, Lauren Resnick, who also chairs
the white papers project steering committee, “This forum is the culmination of a process
in which we’ve brought together many of the top education scholars in the country.
Based on their findings, we know better than ever what works in education – and what
doesn’t. At this crucial time of a new administration, we are proposing policy changes
that promise to bring the nation closer to the kinds of education results that we all want
– and that we want for all children.”
As part of the NAEd white papers initiative, expert working groups were formed to
address the key areas in education policy that will be discussed at the forum. Together,
the white papers will help policy-makers better understand these education issues and
will reinforce their ability to formulate evidence-based policies. In order to engage
public comment, highlights from the white papers will be presented at the November 18th
event. The final papers, subject to extensive peer review, will be released and available
on the NAEd website early in 2009.
NAEd President Lorrie Shepard, emphasizing the value of the project, notes:
“The education policy white papers initiative provides NAEd with an important
opportunity to forward its mission to advance the highest quality education research and
its use in policy formation and practice.” Founded in 1965, the NAEd consists of U.S.
members and foreign associates who are elected on the basis of outstanding scholarship
or contributions to education. Since its establishment, the academy has undertaken
numerous commissions and study panels, which typically include both NAEd members
and other scholars with expertise in a particular area of inquiry.
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