Bozeman Magazine

 The Montana State University Initiative for Regulation and Applied Economic Analysis will examine issues facing K-12 education and research that may address those issues during an annual conference set for April 12 at the university.

“Evidence and Education: Linking Research, Policy and Practice to Enhance K-12 Education,” will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, April 12, in the Procrastinator Theater on the MSU campus. The conference is free and open to the public.

A variety of topics will be addressed, including challenges in teacher recruitment and retention; understanding school funding and disparities in student success; accountability in education; advancing school safety; and technology in education.

Wendy Stock, co-director of the initiative and economics professor in the MSU Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics in the College of Agriculture, said the conference will bring together economists, education researchers and practitioners to share and discuss research into the pivotal issues facing our nation’s schools and the policies designed to address those issues.

“The day provides opportunity for an evidence-based forum focused on how education research can help inform education practice,” Stock said. “Access to a quality education is a fundamental issue for everyone in our country, and this conference aims to help inform potential solutions that ultimately work toward reforming the education landscape for the better.”

“Educators, students and parents are increasingly voicing their concerns about school resources, safety and quality,” she said. “It’s important that policymakers have the evidence generated by researchers to improve outcomes for our students and teachers.”

Among the speakers at the conference are Stephanie Aragon of the Educational Commission of the States, Helen Ladd of Duke University, Luis Huerta of Columbia University, Diane Schanzenbach of Northwestern University and Jason Cummins of the Montana Advisory Council on Indian Education. The full list of presenters can be found on the initiative’s website.

The conference will conclude with a panel featuring Siri Smillie of the Montana Office of the Governor, Rob Watson of Bozeman Public Schools and Tricia Seifert, head of the MSU Department of Education in the College of Education, Health and Human Development.

Continuing education credits and Office of Public Instruction renewal units are available. The conference will include lunch. Those planning to attend are asked to register by April 1. Please contact Tamara Moe at tamara.moe@montana.edu for more information. For those unable to attend in person, the conference will be livestreamed at montana.edu/regecon.