Karen Seashore Louis

Organizational Barriers to the Utilization of Research.

We would like to express our appreciation to Michael Kane, John Egermeier, Bob Herriott, Sheila Rosenblum, Bob Dentler, Jack Fowler, Tom Mangione, and to several anonymousASQ reviewers of an earlier draft of this paper. Research findings frequently do not seem to have a discernible influence on administrative practice. We propose that a key reason is that research is often conducted in a policy vacuum. Policy vacuums occur in the absence of: an organized constituency of policy makers, identifiable policy issues and research questions, consistent policies and clear policy options, coordination among the independent agencies responsible for a policy area, and an ongoing, operational program that can make use of the findings. Examples of each feature are drawn from two demonstration programs operating in the National Institute of Education. Numerous organizational properties are identified that inhibited the utility of the research connected with the programs.0

Comparative Perspectives on Dissemination and Knowledge Use Policies: Supporting School Improvement

This article argues that because the U.S. dissemination system in education is based on a research-driven rather than a user-focused model, the system has frequently seemed unresponsive to organizational improvement needs that have arisen from the field. Development of this bias has been exacerbated by political, organizational, and programmatic thrusts in federal agencies. In contrast, dissemination systems in the Netherlands and Denmark have achieved a different balance of support for locally and centrally initiated improvements. An examination of systems in other countries can provide useful models for adapting the U.S. system to current needs.

Commissions and the Use of Social Science Research The Case of Safe Schools

Social scientists are increasingly involved in the work of appocnted commissions. As advisers, consultants, or members of such bodies, social scientists may have an oppor tunity to promote the use of social science knowledge in the policymaking process. Based on existing literature, a model for analyzing the behavior of commissions is developed, and the role of social science in the model is discussed. The model is then applied to the case of Bostons Safe Schools Commission. Data on how social science was used by this commission are used to suggest several modifications to the model Despite many constraints that prevent commissions from taking full advantage of social science, it is concluded that they frequently provide a significant vehicle for increasing the influence of social science on policy.