The problem is that when we only publish and read one another's articles written in language that only we understand, and assign them to our students to be discussed under our guidance, we remain within this chamber, secure from the public and its plainspoken forum. From the outside, that chamber appears impenetrable and self-sustaining while having little impact on the actual world of how educational policies come into being and get institutionalized in schools. The metaphor of the ivory tower, after all, is not used to characterize academics with respect and admiration, but to depict their isolation from reality.

When effectively applied, research and evaluation have the potential to improve child welfare practice and outcomes for children, youth, and families. In this video, Dr. Vivian Tseng challenges the traditional paradigm of moving from "research to practice."