Improving the use of research evidence by policy makers and practitioners

Recent decades have witnessed substantial progress in elevating the quality of research evidence, but getting evidence used in policy and practice remains inconsistent at best. In light of the important problems addressed and the significant financial and human investments given to social science research, the weak role that evidence plays in policy and practice decisions is frustrating for researchers and policy makers alike. What can be done to improve the use of evidence in policy and practice? Insights from the latest evidence on research use offer a response to this challenge.

Speaker: Professor Adam Gamoran, President of the William T. Grant Foundation, previously held the John D. MacArthur Chair in Sociology and Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Adam is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and the National Academy of Education and was twice appointed by President Obama to serve on the National Board for Education Sciences.