ABSTRACT

The primary justification for school voucher programs in the United States has revolved around questions of efficacy, especially relative to student achievement outcomes. More recently, however, a series of studies revealed sizable negative impacts on students enrolled in voucher programs. Collectively, these studies presented an evidentiary sea-change and undercut voucher advocates’ traditional claims regarding achievement impacts, presenting an opportunity for us to examine the strategies used to advance evidence on vouchers in new and traditional media. We identify several such strategies, including highlighting limitations of student achievement measures; explaining negative results through program particulars (e.g. overregulation or inadequate funding); demonizing opponents; and changing the conversation (e.g. switching to normative claims). We note voucher opponents’ activities becoming more frequent and otherwise evolving – e.g. becoming bolder and combining achievement results with other ideas and arguments to oppose voucher programs. Media coverage of voucher programs and research, more generally, fluctuated significantly according to broader political events. These findings reveal how research evidence can be leveraged in policy discussions and advocacy – what we call ‘strategic dissembling’ – whereby advocates and policymakers adjust in real time to changing empirical conditions as part of their long-term efforts to advance a particular policy agenda.

摘要

美国学校代金券计划的主要理由围绕着有效性问题，尤其是与学生成绩成果相关的问题。然而，最近的一系列研究表明，对参加代金券计划的学生产生了相当大的负面影响。总的来说，这些研究提供了一个证据性的巨变，削弱了代金券倡导者关于成就影响的传统主张，为我们提供了一个机会来研究用于在新媒体和传统媒体中推进代金券证据的策略。我们确定了几种这样的策略，包括强调学生成绩衡量标准的局限性；通过计划细节解释负面结果（例如过度监管或资金不足）；妖魔化对手；并改变对话（例如切换到规范性声明）。我们注意到代金券反对者的活动变得越来越频繁，并且在其他方​​面不断发展——例如变得更加大胆并将成就结果与其他反对代金券计划的想法和论点结合起来。更普遍地说，媒体对代金券计划和研究的报道会根据更广泛的政治事件发生显着波动。这些发现揭示了如何在政策讨论和倡导中利用研究证据——我们称之为“战略伪装”——倡导者和政策制定者实时调整以适应不断变化的经验条件，作为他们推进特定政策议程的长期努力的一部分。更普遍地说，媒体对代金券计划和研究的报道会根据更广泛的政治事件发生显着波动。这些发现揭示了如何在政策讨论和倡导中利用研究证据——我们称之为“战略伪装”——倡导者和政策制定者实时调整以适应不断变化的经验条件，作为他们推进特定政策议程的长期努力的一部分。更普遍地说，媒体对代金券计划和研究的报道会根据更广泛的政治事件发生显着波动。这些发现揭示了如何在政策讨论和倡导中利用研究证据——我们称之为“战略伪装”——倡导者和政策制定者实时调整以适应不断变化的经验条件，作为他们推进特定政策议程的长期努力的一部分。