69ý

Opinion
School & District Management Opinion

A Snapshot of the 2014 Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings

By Rick Hess — January 13, 2014 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

The 2014 Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings recognize university-based education scholars for their contributions to public understanding and debate. Influence is a product of several factors, including a body of scholarship, the degree to which a scholar’s work has had an impact on other researchers, willingness to wade into public discourse, and the energy and effectiveness devoted to writing for and speaking to popular audiences. The rankings include the top 150 finishers from last year, augmented by 50 “at-large” additions named by a selection committee of about two dozen accomplished scholars (all of whom were assured an automatic bid by dint of their 2013 rankings).

This exercise starts from the premise that academe today does a passable job of recognizing good disciplinary scholarship, but a mediocre job of recognizing scholars who work to move ideas from the pages of barely read journals into the national policy conversation. Indeed, academe offers big professional rewards for scholars who stay in their comfort zones and pursue narrow, hypersophisticated research, but few for scholars who write for popular outlets or risk stepping into heated public debates.

Top 20 Scholars

These metrics are not intended to celebrate citations or sound bites, but to harness a wisdom-of-the-crowds sense of a scholar’s public footprint in 2013. Influence is gauged by his or her current scholarship, commentary, larger body of work, and media presence. A description of how the scores were calculated and the maximum number of points allocated to each category follows.

BRIC ARCHIVE

One result is that the public square is filled by impassioned advocates, while we hear far less than I’d like from those who are best equipped to recognize complexities and explain hard truths. The goal of these rankings is to honor and encourage the kind of engagement that is too often overlooked.

As I see it, the extraordinary policy scholar excels in five areas: disciplinary scholarship, policy analysis and popular writing, convening and shepherding collaborations, providing incisive commentary, and speaking in the public square. The scholars who are skilled in most or all of these areas can cross boundaries, foster crucial collaborations, spark fresh thinking, and bring research into the world of policy in smart and useful ways.

The academy, though, treats many of these skills as an afterthought—or a distraction! And while foundations fund evaluations, convenings, policy analysis, and dissemination, few make any particular effort to develop multiskilled scholars or support this whole panoply of activity.

The reaction to the Public Influence Rankings has left me convinced that things can change. I’ve heard from deans who have used these rankings to help identify potential hires and from scholars who’ve used them to make the case for promotion or new opportunities. Institutions themselves have responded by spotlighting the results, honoring activity that too rarely gets such notice.

Given the many thousands of university-based faculty tackling education, even cracking the top 200 is an honor.

A version of this article appeared in the January 15, 2014 edition of Education Week as The 2014 Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by 
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

School & District Management Spooked by Halloween, Some 69ý Ban Costumes—But Not Without Pushback
69ý are tweaking Halloween traditions to make them more inclusive to all students.
4 min read
A group of elementary school kids sitting on a curb dressed in their Halloween costumes.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management 69ý Take a $3 Billion Hit From the Culture Wars. Here’s How It Breaks Down
Culturally divisive conflicts in schools have led to increased legal and security costs, as well as staff time spent on the fallout.
4 min read
Illustration of a businessman with his hands on his head while he watches dollars being sucked down into a dark hole.
DigitalVision Vectors
School & District Management Opinion The Blind Spot More Educators Need to Recognize
A simple activity in a training session caused a chain reaction that strengthened an educator's leadership for decades to come.
5 min read
Screen Shot 2024 10 29 at 9.19.10 AM
Canva
School & District Management Opinion 9 Ways 69ý Can Improve Life for Teachers and 69ý
Educators suggest low-cost strategies to improve the education experience for teachers and learners alike.
8 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week