Three researchers at a federally funded research center in New Mexico have caused a stir with their study on American education. The study challenges the perspective of policymakers and experts who claim that there is a crisis in the education system. According to the researchers, the current reform agenda is well-intentioned but misguided as it does not address the actual problems in education.
Some individuals in the research community believe that the report is being suppressed by the Bush Administration due to conflicting views. The researchers themselves have not commented on the issue, and it is rumored that they fear losing their federal funding if they speak to reporters. However, Administration officials and Capitol Hill sources claim that the report is undergoing peer review and is not being suppressed.
Peggy Dufour, the chief education adviser to Secretary of Energy James T. Watkins, has confirmed that copies of the report are available. She even provided two different drafts of the report along with critical commentary from the National Center for Education Statistics and the National Science Foundation. While some Administration officials may not be pleased with the report, it is premature to assume that they are burying it.
Despite this, some members of the research community believe that the report is being suppressed. One source claims that the researchers were warned not to speak up and that their careers may be in jeopardy.
The controversy began in early 1990 when Secretary of Energy James T. Watkins initiated an education initiative within his department. The Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque conducted the study as part of this initiative. The researchers reviewed existing research, interviewed educators, and visited schools to gain insights into the problem. One point of agreement between the researchers and Administration officials is that the available education data are inadequate. However, the Sandia researchers discovered the following based on the existing data:
1. High-school completion rates have remained steady for the past 20 years, and when considering equivalency diplomas, the rates are improving and among the best in the world.
2. The decline in college-entrance examination scores is attributed to a wider range of students taking the tests. When comparing test-takers today with those 20 years ago, there is no decline in scores evident.
3. American participation in higher education is the highest in the world, and there is no shortage of Americans pursuing technical degrees.
4. Increased educational expenditures have primarily gone towards special education, and it would be unfair to claim that increased funding has not improved overall student performance.
The researchers do not offer specific solutions but emphasize the need to improve teacher status and preparation and address educational deficits in disadvantaged, urban, and minority populations. Critics note that this report contradicts the Administration’s call for radical change and its claim that additional funding is unnecessary.
Peggy Dufour argues that the researchers’ use of data was selective and misleading. The National Science Foundation and the National Center for Education Statistics support her viewpoint, stating that the report relies on a flawed analysis and incomplete understanding of relevant research.
‘Documenting Their Statements’
According to sources, the researchers have been distributing preliminary versions of their report within the research community and on Capitol Hill for nearly a year. A few months ago, there were rumors suggesting that the Administration intended to suppress the report. In July, one of the researchers and the director of Sandia’s education initiative testified before the House Subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary, and Vocational Education. "We were aware that their actions would be restricted at some point," a Democratic committee aide commented, "so we aimed to document their statements while we still had the chance."
On September 24, representatives from Sandia presented their findings at a meeting in Washington attended by two Republican senators, Ms. Dufour, Deputy Education Secretary David T. Kearns, and Diane Ravitch, assistant secretary for educational research and improvement. Ms. Dufour and congressional sources stated that Administration officials, particularly Mr. Kearns, expressed their displeasure at the meeting. On the same day, the Albuquerque Journal published an article about the report with the headline, "U.S. Education Approved, According to Sandia Labs Report.” On September 30, Mr. Watkins wrote a letter to the newspaper refuting the report, describing it as "completely inaccurate." He highlighted that independent reviews had been critical and stated that his department "will not allow the publication of the study in its current form."
‘A Highly Political Environment’
Sources within the research community have reported that the Sandia researchers faced beratement and even threats of funding reduction from Administration officials. Ms. Dufour denied these claims but did acknowledge that officials criticized the researchers for sharing their findings before the report had undergone expert review and revision. "They have chosen to engage in political tactics," Ms. Dufour remarked, "and when that happens, all bets are off." Nonetheless, some researchers predict that Administration officials will exploit a protracted review process as a means to bury the report.
