ABSTRACT
Despite its limitations (see Kaestle, 1993 for an incisive analysis), “research can and must play a central role in strengthening our educational system” (Rita Colwell, director of the National Science Foundation, 1999). For the past three years, overwhelming national attention has been given to No Child Left Behind (NCLB, 2002) legislation mandating the use of “scientific based research,” specifically randomized
experiments, as the tool of choice for improving education for all of America’s schoolchildren and youth. Many reputable scholars have voiced concern that federal sponsorship of one specific approach to educational research fails to recognize the unique and complex nature of educational science (See Berliner and others in the theme issue on Scientific Research inEducationofEducational Researcher, 31(8),November 2002).
