Readers Respond to Harvard Education Letter Survey
Jan 28, 2010
Our readers, who took an online survey about the Harvard Education Letter last month, provided useful and highly positive feedback.
Survey respondents represented a wide range of occupations, including principals, superintendents, and other school and district administrators; K-12 teachers, curriculum developers, literacy specialists, and coaches; consultants, researchers, and policy makers. Readers said they work in urban, suburban, and rural environments, as well as at the state and federal level.
Among the topics respondents identified as most important to them were:
“HEL is the most readable for me. I don't have to stop to figure out what the writer says. It is not pretentious. It's practical and to the point. For teachers busy working in the front line, it is the best professional publication,” wrote one respondent.
“If I had to give up all but one publication, I would keep the Harvard Education Letter,” wrote another.
“I love the Harvard Education Letter because I don’t have a lot of time to read lengthy research articles currently as I work full time and am the mother of two young children,” wrote another reader. “My work requires me to be knowledgeable in a variety of areas and to see beyond the school district in which I am working with teachers. The Harvard Education Letter provides me with quick and direct information that is intellectually stimulating and highlights current trends in the field.”
Many readers said they regularly share their copy of the Harvard Education Letter with students in education or with their colleagues. “There is always at least one article that directly pertains to my situation,” wrote one respondent. “In the last issue there were two and I shared those with my principal.”
Survey respondents represented a wide range of occupations, including principals, superintendents, and other school and district administrators; K-12 teachers, curriculum developers, literacy specialists, and coaches; consultants, researchers, and policy makers. Readers said they work in urban, suburban, and rural environments, as well as at the state and federal level.
Among the topics respondents identified as most important to them were:
- Teaching and Learning
- Engagement and Motivation
- Assessment and Accountability
- Leadership
- School Improvement
- Achievement Gaps
- “Unlearned Lessons: Six stumbling blocks to our schools’ success,” by W. James Popham
- “Learning Across Distance: Virtual instruction programs are growing rapidly, but the impact on ‘brick-and-mortar’ classrooms is still up in the air,” by Kristina Cowan
- “Bonding and Bridging: Schools open doors for students by building social capital,” by Laura Pappano
- “An Inexact Science: What are the technical challenges involved in using value-added measures?” by Robert Rothman
- “Secrets of High-Functioning School Boards: Practices, not structure, are the key to supporting student achievement,” by Nancy Walser
“HEL is the most readable for me. I don't have to stop to figure out what the writer says. It is not pretentious. It's practical and to the point. For teachers busy working in the front line, it is the best professional publication,” wrote one respondent.
“If I had to give up all but one publication, I would keep the Harvard Education Letter,” wrote another.
“I love the Harvard Education Letter because I don’t have a lot of time to read lengthy research articles currently as I work full time and am the mother of two young children,” wrote another reader. “My work requires me to be knowledgeable in a variety of areas and to see beyond the school district in which I am working with teachers. The Harvard Education Letter provides me with quick and direct information that is intellectually stimulating and highlights current trends in the field.”
Many readers said they regularly share their copy of the Harvard Education Letter with students in education or with their colleagues. “There is always at least one article that directly pertains to my situation,” wrote one respondent. “In the last issue there were two and I shared those with my principal.”