Investing in Research Isn’t Optional; It’s Infrastructure

Venessa Keesler, Ph.D.

One of the most common phrases in education is "Look at the data." We ask, "What does the research say?" We talk about "evidence-based practices" and "what works."  

But data doesn’t grow on trees. Evidence doesn't just exist. Someone has to create it. 

If we want to know what works for students, we must invest in the science that produces those answers. Research takes years—sometimes decades—to build the evidence base that policymakers, educators, and advocates rely on every day. 

The Science of Reading is a perfect example.  

The research that underpins today's literacy movement did not appear overnight. It represents decades of rigorous study, much of it supported by federal investments in education research. Those investments allowed researchers to ask difficult questions, test competing approaches, evaluate implementation, and steadily build a body of evidence that states now use to improve literacy instruction. 

You cannot ask for evidence the day you need it. There must be a continuous pipeline of research that informs future policy decisions, which requires in-depth planning, collection, analysis, and retention practices and policies.  

That is why the last two years of federal disinvestments in education research are so concerning.  Years from now, policymakers will face new challenges without the evidence they need to solve them. In some cases, we simply won't know what works because no one invested in finding out. 

Rather than waiting for that to become a crisis, states and philanthropy have an opportunity to step into the gap. At a time when many states are scaling back their commitment to evidence-building, Michigan has an opportunity to become a national leader in research-informed policymaking. 

Michigan is showing what leadership can look like.  

In the state's most recent budget, two investments deserve far more attention than they received. 

First, lawmakers and Governor Gretchen Whitmer made ongoing investments in the Michigan Education Research Initiative (MERI). MERI provides the research infrastructure Michigan needs to answer critical questions about literacy implementation, career and technical education, educational equity, and many other issues facing schools. 

Second, the state made a significant investment in ongoing literacy research. 

These decisions matter because Michigan's literacy work is already demonstrating what happens when policy is informed by evidence. 

For years, the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative (EPIC), through federally funded research, has evaluated the implementation of Michigan's Read by Grade Three law. That work has produced actionable evidence that is now informing the state's literacy investments, implementation supports, and continuous improvement efforts. 

The reason Michigan has a real opportunity to improve literacy outcomes is not simply because we passed new policies. It is because we know far more today than we did five or ten years ago about what is working, what is not, and where implementation challenges remain. 

Research has also revealed problems we otherwise would not have known existed. 

EPIC found that Michigan schools are using more than 400 different literacy curricula. Those findings raise important questions about the level of consistency and quality across instructional materials. 

Researchers at Michigan State University found that many of the literacy assessments used in Michigan's early grades do not fully measure several foundational reading skills that are critical for literacy development.

Those findings are incredibly actionable. They help policymakers direct investments to where they will have the greatest impact. Without that research, we would be making decisions largely in the dark. 

This is why research should never be viewed as a side-quest. It is the foundation of strong decision-making.

Research is more than analyzing test scores. It includes studying implementation, observing classroom practice, surveying educators and families, understanding how policies are experienced on the ground, and combining rigorous quantitative and qualitative methods to answer questions that data alone cannot. 

If we are willing to invest billions of dollars in education, we should also invest in understanding whether those dollars are making a difference. 

In fact, every significant education investment should include dedicated funding for research and evaluation. Every major initiative should leave us knowing more than we knew before—not only about outcomes, but about implementation, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. At a time when many states are scaling back their commitment to evidence-building, Michigan has an opportunity to become a national leader in research-informed policymaking 

Launch Michigan applauds Michigan's continued investment in education research and encourages policymakers, legislators, philanthropy, and the next governor to continue treating science and evidence as essential public infrastructure. 

With this budget, the state makes important steps towards a commitment to data-driven policy.  

If Michigan truly wants to become a top-10 education state, we cannot afford to guess. We have to keep investing in the research that helps us know what works—and just as importantly, what doesn't.