Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Scaling Up

Critical Questions

Action Agenda

Appendix

Bringing to Scale Educational Innovation and School Reform was a 2-day working meeting. As such, it represents only a beginning as we move toward solving the problem of how to bring successful educational strategies to scale. Keenly aware of psychology's potential contributions, conference participants urged the discipline to build on the passion and knowledge exhibited at the conference and take the following steps in the next year.

1. The conference offered a model of interdisciplinary collaboration for studying issues related to scaling up educational reform. However, it was just a beginning. The conference participants realized that taking a closer look at improving the nation's schools will require a great deal more than was accomplished in this one meeting. A major research initiative is needed, and conference participants recommended that APA seek funding to conduct an analysis of the massive amount of literature on effective education programs and contexts for change.

2. Funding should be sought for a major followup conference to synthesize the research in the area of educational upscaling and to address the critical questions raised in the preliminary conference.

3. Because psychology often trains program evaluators, program researchers, and onsite participants, the discipline has a unique role to play in the educational issues this conference highlighted. APA should focus on training psychologists to address the need for an increased emphasis on program evaluation and knowledge dissemination about effective programs.

4. The psychology community needs to embrace education as a priority. The APA Monitor should publish an article about the conference and the need for psychology's increased involvement in education. APA's Education Directorate should embrace its founding document's commitment to this agenda and support the effort with activities and funding, a commitment requiring an infusion of funds.

5. American psychology needs to take its place at the education table. Psychology should form partnerships with education groups, parent groups, foundations that fund educational projects, and government agencies and then work with them on advocacy and policy development.

6. The conference action agenda should be publicized widely. APA is submitting papers on educational upscaling to the American Psychologist for the Psychology in the Public Forum section.

Table of Contents