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Call for APA Division 15 Policy Brief Proposals

The APA Division 15 Policy Committee invites Division 15 members and educational psychology researchers to submit policy briefs for publication as part of the Division 15 Policy Brief series. The briefs synthesize and reconceptualize educational psychology research to address policy issues of importance.

The goals of this initiative are to:

  1. Generate new interest on the part of educational psychology scholars to include in their work the importance of education policy and/or reframe their work to include an educational policy lens;
  2. Create an outlet for educational psychology scholars already working in the policy arena a new avenue to disseminate their work; and
  3. Communicate educational psychology scholarship  in a more easily digestible, timely,  and actionable way for policymakers to use in their decision-making (accepted submissions will be disseminated through various Division 15 outlets to enhance visibility). 

We consider submissions of differing perspectives, and encourage scholars with diverse backgrounds to apply. Policy briefs should address pressing issues in education (broadly defined) and be explicit about their educational psychology and educational policy relevance and implications.

Qualifications 

Authors must be researchers in the area of educational psychology (regardless if their doctorate is in Educational Psychology) and must be fellows, members, associates, or affiliates of Division 15. Individuals who are not currently APA or Division 15 members should consult the Division’s 15 website on how to become a member at www.apadiv15.org/join. You can find previously published policy briefs via the aforementioned link under Publications, then Policy Briefs. Applicants must have a conferred doctoral degree, however doctoral candidates can be included as co-authors. Applications will be considered from individuals working in educational organizations (e.g., higher education institutions, school districts), research and development organizations, or other research venues that include a research ethics committee.  

What to Submit and How the Brief Will Be Assessed

Members of the Policy Committee will blind review submissions along with expert, external reviewers (when possible) to identify which briefs will move forward. Authors should include all relevant references in footnote form within the brief and then also submit a separate full reference section not directly listed in the proposal. Briefs should not exceed 1,250 words (reference section does not count towards the word count). Submissions will be evaluated along the following criteria on a 5-point scale for each respective component:

  1. Description of topic/problem area (describe the topic area that is the focus of the brief and detail who the policy impacts and how; describe to which policy[ies] the issue/problem is related and in what way; elaborate upon the current landscape contextualizing the issue and the evidence supporting the need to address said issue);
  2. Description of the target audience (is the brief aimed at elected officials or school district administrators, and why is this the logical target audience?); 
  3. Connections between educational psychology and education policy (make connections between educational psychology concepts/areas (theoretical and/or empirical) and education policy);
  4. Timeliness/relevance of topic (address a topic that is current and timely and of widespread interest and importance); 
  5. Policy recommendations (make at least one policy recommendation emanating from the topic area and extant scholarship which are nested within contextualizing circumstances and which is aimed at a specific policy audience); 
  6. Accessibility of language (language is clear, concise, and engaging; jargon is not used); 
  7. Inclusion of potential reviewers (1-2 experts from the related field); and
  8. Adequate footnotes/citations are used in the brief and full references are included on a separate page. 

Tentative Policy Brief Timeline 2023-2024

  • June 30—Deadline for policy brief submissions
  • September—Author(s) are notified if their submission was selected
  • October-December-Authors work with committee and expert reviewers to finalize brief
  • February 1, 2024—Final version of brief due
  • March, 2024—Brief finalized and formatted and published

Resource Information for Policy Brief Writers

Here are some things to think about while constructing your policy brief:

  1. What is the issue/problem, who does it impact and why?
  2. Why is it important? 
  3. What are the costs of this problem (educational, academic, financial)?
  4. What do we know about the issue/problem and what don’t we know about it?
  5. Where relevant, what do we know about this problem in terms of learning, motivation, cognition, achievement, instruction or assessment (i.e., what is the educational psychology lens)?
  6. What do we know about potential solutions?
  7. Clearly stipulate recommendations (and supporting arguments) and the target policy audience (national, state, local—whichever ones are most relevant).
  8. Clearly stipulate (where and when relevant), short-, mid-, and long-term recommendations.

Please submit your brief here: https://forms.gle/qZVAym7mzLL5k2Yz7 

Questions? Please contact Benjamin Brock at [email protected]