RESEARCH TO PRACTICE ISSUES

Educators frequently lament the limited effect research has on educati onal practices. Special educators often are frustrated by the observat ion that there appears to be a haphazard or inverse relationship betwe en popular intervention procedures and reliable research data. Address ing research-to-practice issues effectively requires getting researche rs to do better research and getting policymakers to make better choic es. Better research is characterized by trustworthiness, useability, a nd accessibility. In addition, research-based procedures should involv e minimal risk of harm, be practical and sustainable, be believable an d socially valid, be implemented with a high degree of fidelity, and b e accompanied by systematic training programs. Consensus must be built among influence producers, knowledge producers, regulation producers, and knowledge consumers regarding needed research and criteria for se lecting interventions. Future research should be directed toward findi ng ways to suppress the tendency to accept unsubstantiated claims for methods and materials and to construct a culture of support for resear ch-based practices. Special attention should be given to finding ways to maintain research-based practices after they have been taught.