In this address before the American Educational Research Association, the director of the National Institute of Education discusses the leadership role of that agency in educational improvement and emphasizes the importance of cooperation between research and practice communities, between administrators and policymakers, and among federal, state,…

This report analyzes the relationship between educational policymaking and educational practice in schools and classrooms by drawing lessons from recent attempts to reform schools with policy. Educational reform operates on the following loosely connected levels: (1) policy; (2) administration; and (3) practice. Policy can set the conditions for…