Common-Sense Evidence

Common-Sense Evidence is a concise, accessible guide that helps education leaders find and interpret data and research and put that knowledge into action. The book empowers educators to address the Every Student Succeeds Act mandate that schools use evidence-based improvement strategies. Recommendations include making sure existing research is relevant and convincing; generating evidence on the success of their own improvement efforts; and building an organizational culture of evidence use. <p/> Nora Gordon and Carrie Conaway direct readers through case studies of typical scenarios and help education leaders build capacity for evidence-based practice in their schools and districts. <p/> "Common-Sense Evidence is a breath of fresh air in a policy context that narrowly and, largely unsuccessfully, has privileged particular kinds of evidence and particular kinds of use. Gordon and Conaway empower education leaders with expert guidance on finding, creating, and using evidence in ways that actually meets their needs. Through explanation, example, and tools, the book is direct, actionable, and elevates the user to the center of the research use agenda."
--Elizabeth N. Farley-Ripple, associate professor and director of Partnership for Public Education, University of Delaware <p/> "Bridging the connection between research and real-world practice is a critical need, but there are very few tools to show us how. Common-Sense Evidence is a practical guide for unpacking problems and making research more intuitive and accessible for educators. It gives us a process for understanding how to take what we learn and apply it, so research can actually improve the work of teachers and leaders."
--Candice McQueen, chief executive officer, National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, former Tennessee Commissioner of Education <p/> "Policy makers and practitioners need evidence to make decisions. But the available evidence base is often overwhelming, and there's frequently a disconnect between the evidence that leaders need and what researchers produce. In this must-read book, Nora Gordon and Carrie Conaway--trailblazers in connecting leaders with research--demystify the research process. And, even more importantly, they give leaders the power to build and nurture truly evidence-driven learning organizations."
--David Figlio, Orrington Lunt Professor and Dean, School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University <p/>Nora Gordon is an associate professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. Carrie Conaway is a senior lecturer on education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.