Reforming research to support culturally and ecologically responsive and developmentally meaningful practice in schools

Abstract Although advances have been made in educational research, broad discrepancies continue in the educational experiences and outcomes of subgroups of youth. Research that focus on “what works” and tiered-models of evidence-based practices may not be well suited for tailoring interventions to support diverse learners. Building from dynamic systems and ecological perspectives of development, this article considers how educational research can be reformed to be responsive to cultural and ecological factors that impact the relevance of educational practices and student outcomes. Research is needed that fosters supported professionalism for teachers and promotes their expertise to use data to adapt interventions to the needs of subgroups. It is suggested that tiered systems of adaptive supports can be developed to better align practice elements of evidence-based interventions to developmental factors that contribute to the adaptation and outcomes of students with diverse learning needs.