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20 Years of Applying Campbell's "Experimenting Society" Methods to Preschool Policy in New Jersey

Sat, April 6, 10:25 to 11:55am, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Floor: 200 Level, Room 203A

Abstract

Purpose and perspective: New Jersey’s state-funded urban pre-k program, known as the Abbott Pre-K Program, resulted from the long-standing Abbott v Burke school funding court case. Twenty years ago, the NJ Supreme Court ordered high-quality pre-k as one of a set of remedies for inequities between rich and poor school districts. The Court was convinced by the general research literature, but also by a study in New Jersey demonstrating the gap in opportunity to learn as well as child learning. This use of research to inform policy and practice did not stop with convincing the Court, but has become the modus operandi of the state in partnership with academia. The purpose of this session is to present examples of how research studies and research methodology has been used for decision-making at the child, classroom, building, district, and state levels for twenty years.

Donald T. Campbell’s proposition that social scientists, policymakers, and other stakeholders should be part of an experimenting society is one in which policy questions lead to policy-relevant research that is publicly assessed and implemented in natural settings to determine possible answers (Campbell, 1973).

Methods and data sources: Over the twenty years of Abbott Pre-K implementation, various methods of data collection have been used to answer policy questions. These include randomized controlled trials, quasi-experiments (regression discontinuity designs and natural variation), analysis of administrative data, and ethnography and other qualitative methods (Barnett & Frede, 2017; Barnett & Frede, 1997; Barnett, Tarr, Lamy & Frede, 2001; Barnett, Tarr, & Frede, 1999; Frede & Barnett, 2011; Frede, 2009; Friedman et al., 2009; Ryan, Hornbeck & Frede, 2004; Wilkins & Frede, 2005).

The presentation will highlight typical examples of relevant policy questions and the process used to apply science to help answer them. Thus, data sources and evidence will include technical and policy reports and published research studies. The historical through-line shows the process of using research to inform policy and implementation for continuous improvement, leading to measured changes in practice and ultimately showing beneficial outcomes for children.

Conclusions and significance: The Abbott Pre-K Program has shown positive and meaningful benefits at least through 5th grade (Barnett & Frede, 2017). The success of the program provides some substantiation to the conclusion that implementing a continuous improvement cycle in the context of Campbell’s experimenting society does lead to changes in policy and practice, which ultimately benefit children and society (Gilliam & Frede, 2012; Frede, Gilliam, & Schweinhart, 2011).

As Payne (2008) poignantly reminds us, there are an abundance of education reform efforts but few show beneficial effects. The Abbott Pre-K Program provides an example of a reform that is effective and suggests the importance of using data to inform policy.

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