Abstract
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis (EEPA) is the premier journal for rigorous, policy-relevant research on issues central to education. The articles that appear inform a wide range of readers—from scholars, policy analysts, and policymakers to journalists and education associations—working at local, state, and national levels. As incoming editors, we seek to maintain the journal’s vitality, hone its empirical focus, and increase its ability to respond quickly to proposals as our contributors aim to speak to an evolving policy context.
We will emphasize three key priorities. First, we will continue to publish high-quality research on how reforms and interventions affect educational outcomes. While recognizing that much of the latest scholarship continues to be focused on policies affecting K–12 student achievement—and while maintaining such a focus in the pages of EEPA—our team also will encourage the contribution of high-quality empirical research on all levels of education, from early childhood studies to those examining issues in higher education. In addition, we will strongly consider studies that investigate nonachievement outcomes such as teacher knowledge and instructional practice, educational attainment, noncognitive outcomes, and college and career readiness.
We value the notable increase in education research over the past 15 years that uses randomized control trials or rigorous quasiexperimental methods as well as the increasing focus on developing educational interventions grounded in research. Our team is also committed to publishing high-quality quantitative, mixed-methods, qualitative, and evaluation research that reveals the conditions under which educational reforms do or do not work. Such research is central to understanding how the social context of reform promotes fidelity to implementation and effectiveness. An important aspect of such research is to address inequalities within education systems and highlight initiatives that work well for all students, especially low-income and racial minority students.
Second, our team will seek to publish research on how multiple educational policy and reform initiatives support or conflict with each other. At the federal, state, and local levels, myriad policies and reforms are often enacted simultaneously to improve educational outcomes. A current example is the move in many states to enact the Common Core State Standards, student assessments based on the standards, and teacher evaluation reforms—all at the same time. As a result, education policy research is often complex, requiring interdisciplinary teams to examine multiple reforms and how they intersect. Moreover, it is important for U.S. researchers to better understand reforms that are effective in other settings and countries, and how those reforms inform the decisions of policymakers and educators in these contexts.
Third, we will publish research to inform pending changes in educational policy at the federal, state, and local levels and their effects on early childhood through early adulthood. For instance, as states continue to explore various approaches to school and teacher evaluation, we have much to understand about how the new evaluation approaches are translated into local decisions about curriculum, instruction, and teacher professional development, and the implications of these changes for student progress, from early childhood into postsecondary opportunities. In addition, federal policy continues to emphasize standards-based reform, charter school expansion, and college preparation. Current and proposed research can significantly contribute to understanding the effects of these policies at different levels of the education system and on schools, teachers, and students.
EEPA’s continued success and influence are predicated on the submission and publication of outstanding manuscripts, together with an exceptional peer-review process. We look forward to your help on both fronts.