Simon Fraser University
Dr. Daniel Laitsch
danweb1 Assistant Professor

My research interests relate to the use and misuse of research to effect change in education policy and practice. I am particularly interested in assessment and accountability policy in K-12 education, and the relationship to education funding and outcomes. For a complete listing of my research interests, teaching, and service, please visit my web site.

Email: dlaitsch@sfu.ca

2001 Ph.D. (Education and Public Policy)

Dissertation: K-12 Voucher Programs and education policy: An exploratory analysis of policymaker attitudes and opinions

American University
1996 M.Ed. (Social Foundations of Education) University of Virginia
1988 B.A., English, Minor in Political Science (Certification as a secondary teacher of English) Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)

Selected Publications

Laitsch, D. (in press). Nutrition and schools knowledge summary. McGill Journal of Education.

Laitsch, D. (2006). Assessment, high stakes, and alternative visions: Appropriate use of the right tools to leverage improvement. Policy Brief. Education Policy Studies Lab. Tempe, AZ: Arizona State University.

Laitsch, D. (2006). Record Books: NCLB meets school realities: Lessons from the field. Teachers College Record 108(1). pp. 103-106.

Laitsch, D. (2005). Beyond standards and accountability: A critique of current trends in assessment. CEPolicy Perspectives 1(3). Center for Education Policy. George Mason University.

Laitsch, D., & Earley, P. (2005). Who Said What to Whom, How and Why? Media Coverage of Teacher Preparation and Implications for Influencing Policy. CEPolicy Perspectives 1(1).Center for Education Policy. George Mason University. Retrieved May 2, 2005 from http://gse.gmu.edu/centers/edpolicy/documents/mediatp.pdf.

Laitsch, D. (2005). A View from the U.S.: Through the Lens of No Child Behind. Orbit Magazine 35(3). Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Retrieved from http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/orbit/.

Laitsch, D. (2005, July). A Policymaker’s Primer on Testing and Assessment. Infobrief #42. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available June, 2005 from http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/infobrief/jul05/num42/toc.aspx.

Laitsch, D. (2005, May). High School Reform: Protecting the Student Interest. Infobrief #41. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available June, 2005 from http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/infobrief/may05/num41/toc.aspx.

Laitsch, D., Lewallen, T., McCloskey, M. (2005, February). The Whole Child: A Framework for Education in the 21st Century. Infobrief #40. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available June, 2004 from http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/infobrief/feb05/num40/toc.aspx.

Laitsch, D., & Rodi, K. (2004, April). Brown v. Board of Education: Reflections on the 50th anniversary of the landmark decision. Infobrief #37. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available June, 2004 from  http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/infobrief/apr04/num37/toc.aspx.

Laitsch, D. (2003, August). Into the mix: Policy, practice, and research. Infobrief #34. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Retrieved October 2, 2003 from http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/infobrief/aug03/num34/toc.aspx.

Laitsch, D. (2002). K-12 voucher programs and education policy: An exploratory study of policymaker attitudes and opinions. Education Policy Analysis Archives 10(48). Retrieved December 2, 2002 from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v10n48/

Laitsch, D. (2002). K-12 voucher programs and education policy: An exploratory study of policymaker attitudes and opinions (Doctoral dissertation, American University, 2001). Dissertation Abstracts International 62(12), p. 4012.

Laitsch D., Heilman, E., & Shaker, P. (2002, December). Teacher Education, Pro-Market Policy and Advocacy Research. Teaching Education 13(3).

Research and Development Projects

Education Systems and Outcomes in Diverse Communities: An Interdisciplinary Approach. Research project supported by SFU’s Community Trust Endowment Fund, $2.5 million for 5 years. Co-Principal Investigator.

Educator use of academic research in practice. Research project supported by an SFU President’s Research Grant. Principal investigator.

Public Presentations/Conferences (Selected)

Laitsch, D. (2007, October 2). Lessons gleaned from the U.S. context. Presentation on the BCELNET panel: Standards and Certification for Educational Leaders, SFU Harbour Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Laitsch, D. (2007, May 31). Thinking scientifically: An educational approach to systematizing the way we use knowledge. Presentation to the Second Annual conference on Building the Scientific Mind, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Laitsch, D. (2007, May 2). Issues in school governance. In Simpson, C., Perry, N., & Laitsch, D. Public meeting on provincial model schools. Vancouver, BC: Vancouver Save Our Schools Network.

Laitsch, D. (2007, April 11). Making Education a Knowledge Based Profession. In, Murphy, P.K., Sandoval, W.A., Laitsch, D., Preston, S.D. New Directions in the Field of Learning and Instruction. AERA Division C Symposium at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.

Laitsch, D., Lewallen, T. (2007, March 18). Healthy Schools, Healthy Children: Implementation of Coordinated School Health Programs. Presentation to the annual conference of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Anaheim, CA.

Laitsch, D., Lewallen, T. (2007, March 17). More than Test Scores: Supporting healthy communities, schools, and children. Presentation to the annual conference of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Anaheim, CA.

Shaker, P., Laitsch D., Nilson, M. (2006, December 9). Student Accomplishment: Broadening the Dialogue. Presentation to the 2006 Innovation Academy, sponsored by the British Columbia School Trustees Association.

Vamos, S. & Laitsch, D. (2006, November 27-29). Institutionalizing coordinated and comprehensive school-based health policies: An international comparison. Poster Presenation (#61). Public Health Association of British Columbia Annual Conference, Vancouver, BC.

Laitsch, D. (2006, November 6). Education Accountability in the 21st Century: Broadening the dialogue, building capacity (prepared remarks). Presentation to the 2006 meeting of the British Columbia Teachers Federation: Teachers’ Forum: A dialogue on teaching and learning. Simon Fraser University, Harbour Centre. (Video link).

Laitsch, D. (2006, October 28). Assessment, high stakes, and alternative visions: Appropriate use of the right tools to leverage improvement. Workshop presented to the 2006 meeting of the British Columbia Teachers Federation: What really counts! Rethinking accountability. Delta Vancouver Airport Hotel and Conference Centre. Outcomes: Workshop 1 Workshop 2

Laitsch, D. Vamos, S., & McCall, D. (2006, August 30-September 1). Public Health Systems and the Policy Structures that Support Implementation and Institutionalization of Coordinated School-Based Approaches. Poster Presentation (PP092). Geneva Forum: Toward Global Access to Health, Geneva, Switzerland.

Laitsch, D. (2006, May 28). Bypassing the Academy: Public policy and ivory towers, think tanks, and governments, in Examining Policy Issues in Education. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Canadian Educational Researchers’ Association, Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Toronto, Canada.

Laitsch, D., Taylor, M., & Rootman, I. (2006, May 25). Systems Thinking, Capacities & Change. Keynote panel presentation at the 2006 National Invitational Conference & Seminars of the Joint Consortium for School Health, Vancouver, BC.

Laitsch, D. (2006, April 2). Electronic Knowledge Networks: Strengthening Scholarship and Professional Practice. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Chicago, Illinois.

Shaker, P., Heilman, E., Berliner, D., Spring, J., Valenzuela, A., NcNeil, L., & Laitsch, D. (2006, April 7). Protecting the Public Interest: What Research Has to Say to the Next Generation of Policymakers. Panelist. Division B – Section 1 – symposium at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, California.

Laitsch, D., Bushey, L., & McKeon, D. (2006, April 7). The Road Not (Often) Taken: Writing Research for Practitioners, Policymakers and the Media. Panelist. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, California.

Laitsch, D. (2005, September 20). Taking Research to Practice (and Back): Toward a Professional Vision of Research in Education. Plenary Speaker. Presentation at the 2005 Fall Issues meeting of the National Coordinating Committee on School Health and Safety.

Laitsch, D., Towne, L., Valachovic, R., Earley, P. & Shaker, P. (2005, February 21). Because the federal government said so: When scholarship and politics clash. Panelist. Symposium presentation at the 2005 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Retrieved May 2, 2005 from http://www.sfu.ca/~dlaitsch/presentations/2005/aaas/.

Finn Jr., Laitsch D., C. E., Lerner, R., Swanson, C., & Hess, F. (2004, October 7). The Education Statistics We Need and How Uncle Sam Can Get Them to Us. Invited Panelist. Washington, DC: American Enterprise Institute. Retrieved October 7, 2004 from http://www.aei.org/events/eventID.903/event_detail.asp.

Laitsch, D., (2004). Political and policy constraints on scientific practice, research, and research integrity: Scientifically based research, the What Works Clearinghouse, and the legislating of methodology in research. Paper presentation at the 2004 meeting of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Research Integrity Research on Research Integrity Conference, San Diego, California. Retrieved May 2, 2005 from http://www.sfu.ca/~dlaitsch/SBRweb.pdf.

Berliner, D., Heilman, E., Laitsch, D., McNeil, L., Shaker, P., Spring, J. & Valenzuela, A. (2004). Is the federal government taking over educational research? A discussion of the political and rhetorical strategies behind new policies. Panelist. Division B – Section 1 – Curriculum in Classrooms symposium at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, California.

Earley, P., & Laitsch, D. (2004). Media coverage of teacher preparation, 2001-2003. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education, Chicago, Illinois.

Laitsch, D., & Earley, P. (2003). Who said what to whom, how and why? Media coverage of teacher preparation, 2001-2002. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, Illinois.

Leadership and Scholarly Service

Author/Editor for ResearchBrief, and Online research dissemination publication sponsored by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Laitsch, D. (2006, January 16). CCPA Education Governance Seminar. Invited participant. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Vancouver, BC.

Laitsch, D. (2005, November 29). Policy Roundtable on Parent and Teacher Views on Education. Invited participant. Society for the Advancement of Excellence in Education. Vancouver, BC.

Laitsch, D. (2004, December 15). Developing a vision for knowledge utilization in education: A brainstorming and advisory session convened by NEKIA. Invited panelist. Washington, DC: the National Education Knowledge Industries Association.

Laitsch, D., Pool, C., Scherer, M., & Willis, S. (2004). Communicating Your Research to Practicing Educators: Writing for Publication. Mini-course presentation to the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, California.

Education Technology Module (University of the West Indies): Organized and presented content on educational technology programs, policies, and implementation efforts as part of an SFU/UWI collaborative MEd program located in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. (Spring, 2007).

Joint Consortium for School Health: Policy analysis and engagement in comprehensive and coordinated school health issues, Vancouver, BC. (Fall 2005 – Spring 2007).

2007 Convener and attendant: Radical Teaching by Design, LIDC
2007 Presenter: Faculty Exchange, LIDC
2006, 2007 Program Chair: Special Interest Group on Research Use, American Educational Research Association.
2003-2006 Chair: Special Interest Group on Research Use, American Educational Research Association.
2003-2007 Peer review, Session Chair and Moderator: American Educational Research Association annual meetings.
2006-2007 Co-editor of the International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership
2007 Textbook review for Oxford University Press
2007 Reviewer for American Educational Research Journal
2007 Reviewer and Editorial Board member for UBC/SLC Policy Briefs
2006-2007 Reviewer for Teaching Education Journal
2006 Reviewer for Alberta Journal of Educational Research

Community Service

Moderator (2006, Sept. 9). Science fiction & fantasy in the 21st Century… why is Harry Potter so popular? Philosophers’ Café.

Panelist (2006, June 2, 10:00 – 11:00). Bill Good Show. Broadcast from SFU Harbour Centre. CKNW radio, 980 AM. Retrieved June 3, 2006 from http://www.cknw.com/station/audiovault_members.cfm.

Panelist (2006, May 15, 9:00 – 10:00). Bill Good Show. Fraser Institute Report Card. CKNW radio, 980 AM. Retrieved May 16, 2006 from http://www.cknw.com/station/audiovault_members.cfm.

Panelist (2006, April 18, 10:00 – 11:00). Bill Good Show. Testing and Assessment. CKNW radio, 980 AM. Retrieved April 19, 2006 from http://www.cknw.com/station/audiovault_members.cfm.

Interviewed by Diane Strandberg (2005, November 4). Keep education local: prof. Tri-city News.

Interviewed by Michael Smyth (2005, October 18, 20:00-20:30). Nightline BC. CKNW radio, 980 AM. Retrieved October 18, 2005 from http://www.cknw.com/station/audiovault_members.cfm.

SFU Faculty Service

  • 2007 Member. Appointments Committee.
  • 2007 Academic Integrity Advisor.
  • 2006 Cognate Member. Appointments Committee, Post-secondary appointment.
  • 2006 Cognate Member. Appointments Committee, Educational Leadership appointment.
  • 2007 Cognate Member. Appointments Committee, Post-secondary appointment.
  • 2006 Panelist. Education Accountability in the 21st Century: Broadening the Dialogue, Building Capacity. SFU Surrey Opening Celebrations Events (Faculty of Education Presentations).
  • 2007 Member, Interview Committee for PDP Faculty Associate Interviews

Research Grants

  • $2.5 million five year SFU Community Trust Endowment Fund Grant: Education Systems and Outcomes in Diverse Communities: An Interdisciplinary Approach. Co-Principal Investigator.
  • $10,000 SFU President’s Research Grant: Educator use of academic research in practice. Principal investigator.

Graduate Student Supervision

  • 6 EDD (senior supervisor)
  • 1 MA (committee member)
  • 1 MA (External examiner)
  • 1 EDD (Internal Examiner)
  • 17 MEd (Comprehensive exam reader)
  • 1 Site sponsor (Surrey MEd)
Last Updated
November 25, 2008
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