Acknowledgments

     The inspiration for this project was Alexandra Wigdor, director of the Division on Education, Labor, and Human Performance at the National Research Council (NRC). Her leadership in guiding the formation and work of the Committee on Learning Research and Educational Practice was central to its success. The vision of focusing the efforts of the research community on classroom practice is that of C. Kent McGuire, assistant secretary for educational research and improvement at the U.S. Department of Education. Our point of departure for this project was the National Research Council report How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. We acknowledge the contribution of the Committee on Developments in the Science of Learning who authored that report: John Bransford (co-chair), Ann Brown (co-chair), John Anderson, Rochel Gelman, Robert Glaser, William Greenough, Gloria Ladson-Billings, Barbara Means, Jose Mestre, Linda Nathan, Roy Pea, Penelope Peterson, Barbara Rogoff, Thomas Romberg, and Samuel Wineberg. Without their work, ours would not have been possible. Rodney Cocking, study director of that committee, provided support for this committee's efforts to carry that report one step further. Wendell Grant, the project assistant, worked long hours managing the logistics of the committee's meetings and events, and providing the administrative support for production of the report and its drafts. Christine McShane improved the document with her skilled editing. We also thank Carolyn Stalcup for design support and Sandra Yurchak for secretarial support.

     The committee held a conference in December 1998 to present How People Learn to an audience of educators, policy makers, and researchers and to elicit their feedback on the promise of, and obstacles to, bridging educational research and practice. The National Research Council and the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) of the U.S. Department of Education cosponsored the conference, and the participation of Bruce Alberts, NRC chair, and C. Kent McGuire, assistant secretary for OERI, contributed to its success. Joseph Conaty and Luna Levinson of OERI assisted with conference planning. Karen Fuson, committee member Annemarie Palincsar, and Robert Bain demonstrated approaches to teaching that use the principles highlighted in this report. Members of the two panels provided insightful perspectives on the challenge of bridging research and classroom practice: on the panel providing teacher perspectives were: David Berliner, Deanna Burney, Janice Jackson, Jean Krusi, Lucy (Mahon) West, and Robert Morse. On the panel providing policy perspectives were: Ron Cowell, Louis Gomez, Paul Goren, Jack Jennings, Kerri Mazzoni, and Carol Stewart.

     The committee also held a workshop to focus more sharply on the research that would help construct the bridge between research and practice. The workshop was an intensive two-day effort to work in both large and small groups to cover each of the areas of research discussed in this report. We thank each of the participants who joined the committee in this effort: Amy Alvarado, Karen Bachofer, Robert Bain, Cathy Cerveny, Cathy Colglazier, Rodney Cocking, Ron Cowell, Jean Krusi, Luna Levinson, Robert Morse, Barbara Scott Nelson, Iris Rotberg, Leona Schauble, Carol Stewart, and Lucy West for their diligent efforts.

     This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC's Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.

     We thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report: Dorothy Fowler, Lacey Instructional Center, Annandale, VA; Ramesh Gangolli, Department of Mathematics, University of Washington; Richard Lehrer, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Michael Martinez, Education Department, University of California, Irvine; K. Ann Renninger, Program in Education, Swarthmore College; Thomas A. Romberg, National Center for Research in Mathematical Sciences Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Patrick Suppes, Center for the Study of Language and Information, Stanford University.

     Although the individuals listed above have provided constructive comments and suggestions, it must be emphasized that responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

John Bransford, Co-chair

James Pellegrino, Co-chair

Suzanne Donovan, Study Director

Committee on Learning Research and Educational Practice