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Prepare Your Sales Force to be SBR InstructorsScientifically-based research, or SBR, has been an industry buzzword since the passage of the Bush administration's bipartisan No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2001. Four years later, however, confusion about SBR still exists. Many LEAs believe that the Gold Standard is the only acceptable standard for any instructional material due to language in both NCLB and the reauthorization of the IDEA (2004). In fact, in a recent informal survey of supplemental educational publishers, 60 percent of those polled reported encountering difficulties in the purchasing process because of this confusion, and over 700 teachers have voiced a desire for more specific language in the IDEA to clear up ambiguities about SBR. While AEP has been working to make sure the issue is addressed on Capitol Hill (see 8/2 issue), there are a number of things publishers can do to address some of the common misconceptions about SBR when talking with district administrators. 1. Offer a deeper understanding of scientifically-based
research. 2. Explain that Gold Standard SBR is not required
of all educational materials. 3. Offer other research findings on your product. - A White Paper delineating the principles on which your product was designed and how it fulfills these principles is most common. - A comparison of the achievements of a district already using your product with those of a demographically similar non-user district. - Best practice research: Does a particular use of your product lead to better results? - In the case of products for pre-referral programs**, language from the Conference Committee Report of the recently reauthorized IDEA can be cited that specifically identifies supplemental materials as eligible for federal funding. An educated sales force is key; make sure your sales team is well prepared to anticipate and answer all questions LEAs may have about SBR, not only at the federal level, but also at state and local levels. A staff member(s) dedicated to legislative matters may be beneficial, not only in training your sales force, but in fielding follow-up questions on SBR and other related issues. *The entire definition of SBR can be found on the Education Department's website at: http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg107.html **Under provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), local school districts can set aside up to 15 percent of federal funds for students who have not progressed academically, but do not need special education.
Questions, ideas, or in need of more information? Please contact Stacey Pusey at 302-295-8349. |
For more specific examples of alternative research, download the PowerPoint from Dr. Saundra Young's presentation at the 2005 Educational Publishing Summit. "AEP
Seeks 200 Letters on IDEA Regs by Sept. 6 Deadline"
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