Where can educators go to get ideas and inspiration that will help them become more effective professionals?  In addition to maintaining its own member site (www.menc.org), MENC has supported efforts of a number of other agencies organizations in this search.

One evolving tool, created under the auspices of the United States Department of Education, is the What Works Clearinghouse  (http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/). This site, though it currently has no specific music content, offers a model for accessible information for users.

December 12, 2008 saw what was billed as the first of what will likely be annual meetings on “Education Research: Moving Evidence on What Works into Practice.” Centered on the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Educational Sciences “What Works Database” initiative (begun in 2002), the Washington, D.C. meeting delved into the department’s efforts in supporting the use of empirical evidence in shaping educational policy and practice.

Robert Granger, former chair of the National Board of Education Sciences, says he’s seen improvement in the rigor and relevance of education research over the past few years. He noted that the U.S. Congress, in its last draft appropriations bill, asked for analysis of the efficacy of the Institute for Education Sciences’ efforts.

Grainger added that as the breadth of the data in the What Works Database is extended, the next step is to understand how practitioners will use this data to improve their knowledge and day-to-day teaching.

Mark Dunarski, director of the What Works Clearinghouse, noted that the latest products of the project are a series of “Practice Guides” that break data down into a series of straightforward steps that educators can take. James Lytle, professor at the University of Pennsylvania and former superintendent for the Trenton [New Jersey] public schools described the importance of this formatting of research for practice by suggesting links between the growing teacher “Wiki” networks of lesson ideas and educational practices (such as MENC’s My Music Class  (http://menc.org/lessons, login required) with conclusions from research.

All those present at the meeting, including MENC representatives, seemed to take for granted that the importance of education research will only increase in the foreseeable future.

Christopher Johnson, a music education professor, adds, “Research is crucial to any profession, not only because it provides verifiable data to continue to support and better practices, but because it is the research of a profession that defines it as a profession. MENC has long upheld disseminating data to support best practices, as Update: Applications of Research in Music Education is in its twenty-seventh year of publication. Learning about the What Works Clearinghouse is just the next step in helping our teachers access and apply the best of what research results have to offer in every classroom.”

MENC member Christopher M. Johnson is associate dean for academic affairs and research and a professor of music education and music therapy at the University of Kansas, Lawrence.

Resource:  For more information on MENC’s research-related activities, check the Society for Research in Music Education page.

--Ella Wilcox, December 17, 2008, © MENC: The National Association for Music Education (www.menc.org)