Doug Carnine, a leading voice in evidence-based education and author of "Why Educators Resist Effective Practices," dives into the urgent need for effective teaching methods. He discusses systemic failures in education, particularly for low-income students, and the role of the Evidence Advocacy Center in promoting better outcomes. Carnine critiques curriculum decisions that prioritize aesthetics over learning efficacy and emphasizes the need for collaboration among stakeholders. He advocates for the Direct Instruction model and comprehensive training to empower educators and enhance educational standards.
Doug Carnine emphasizes the critical need for evidence-based practices in education to address the deficiencies in teacher preparation and student performance.
The formation of the Evidence Advocacy Center aims to unite stakeholders to promote empirical methods and overcome resistance to change in the education system.
Deep dives
The Consequences of Dogma in Education
The podcast discusses the detrimental effects of dogma in the education system, emphasizing that a significant portion of low-income fourth graders cannot read at a basic level. Doug Carnine compares education to the historical practices in medicine, where dogmatic approaches prevailed until evidence-based practices were adopted. He highlights a personal experience where students from a low-income school excelled due to effective teaching methods, suggesting that many teachers are deprived of knowledge that could enhance their pedagogical strategies. The argument supports the assertion that the field of education must prioritize evidence over outdated beliefs to improve teaching outcomes.
The Inefficacy of Current Educational Practices
Carnine points out that many current educational practices lack a foundation in evidence, with alarming statistics reflecting the inadequacy of teacher preparation programs and the licensure process. The National Center on Teacher Quality analysis reveals that 91% of programs receive low grades for clinical practice, and many states do not require knowledge-based exams for teacher licensure. With most educator preparation programs deemed inadequate, the speaker stresses the necessity for education to shift towards knowledge-based methods to empower teachers. This lack of adherence to evidence ultimately hampers teachers' abilities to serve their students effectively.
Evidence-Based Solutions for Education
The podcast outlines the critical need for knowledge-based methods to be central to educational practices, citing the lessons learned from the Follow Through project that employed various approaches to educate students in poverty. Carnine argues that money alone is not the solution, as funding ineffective methods has shown to yield worse outcomes. He points to a recent lawsuit against popular literacy curricula as an example of how ineffective educational practices can harm students. The direct instruction approach is highlighted as a reliable, evidence-based method that has demonstrated success in achieving high student performance.
Collaborative Efforts to Transform Education
Carnine discusses the formation of the Evidence Advocacy Center, which aims to unite various stakeholders—educators, researchers, families, and policymakers—to advocate for evidence-based practices in education. The center seeks to develop guidelines and frameworks for effective teacher training, licensure, and program accreditation rooted in scientific evidence. This collaboration is essential for overcoming the historical resistance to change within the education system. By gathering experts from different backgrounds, the goal is to create a robust system that continuously improves and adapts educational methods based on empirical research.
A few years ago, I came upon a paper titled, "Why Educators Resist Effective Practices" with the provocative subheading, And What It Would Take to Make EducationMore Like Medicine. It was written by Douglas Carnine, who I would come to learn was not only one of the most important voices in advocacy for evidence-based education, … Continue reading S4E20: Doug Carnine on Advocacy for Evidence
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