Why Schools STILL Fall For Fads
A few months ago, I wrote a Neurodiversity Newsletter article titled Why Schools Fall for Fads. Now a brand-new study reminds us that the cycle still needs to change.
Researchers in the U.K. just completed the first independent randomized controlled trial of Passport: Skills for Life, a widely-adopted universal social and emotional learning (SEL) program that promised to reduce anxiety, depression, and loneliness in children. The result: No measurable impact. Not on mental health, not on well-being, not on bullying.
Sadly, this is not an isolated story. It is a pattern.
We Have Been Here Before
Think back:
Whole Language teaching. Sold to districts nationwide as the enlightened alternative to phonics. The result: millions of children were left struggling to read.
Lucy Calkins’ Readers/Writers Workshop. Packaged as research-based, adopted in thousands of schools, including NYC Public and Arlington Public Schools, VA. Recent evaluations forced revisions because the program never aligned with research-based instruction.
In each case, schools invested heavily in programs that sounded good but lacked rigorous, independent evidence. By the time research caught up, classrooms and kids had already paid the price. I know many families with kids who fell victims to Calkins' programs and now struggle with aspects of basic literacy. Fortunately, school district's have changed course and eliminated the program... but it cost many of their most vulnerable neurodiverse and special needs learners a chance at literacy success.
But Why Do We Keep Repeating This Cycle?
Because publishers and program developers are very strong at marketing and often very light on evidence. I have asked a small number publishers for the research behind their products and have conducted my own research. Again and again, the studies they point to are either:
paid for by the company itself
conducted in partnership with the program’s developers
written by staff who are directly tied to the product
That is not independent evidence. That is advertising presented as research. And kids pay the price.
That is not independent evidence. That is advertising presented as research. And kids pay the price.
What Needs to Change
If schools want to break free from fads, leaders who select curriculum must take on the mindset of researchers:
Interrogate the evidence. Do not just ask if research exists. Ask who paid for it, who conducted it, and whether the results have been replicated independently. If you don't get a straight-forward answer, walk away. Immediately.
Be skeptical of the shiny and new. If it promises to transform your district in one year, it is likely another binder on the shelf in two.
Invest in what lasts. The best strategies are rarely branded or trademarked. They are grounded in universal best practices that teachers can carry with them from one classroom to the next.
Teachers. If you ask your district leaders for the research to support a selected program and do not get a straight-forward answer, do not use the program. Your school and district leaders should know why they selected the program and be able to justify it with evidence, not opinion. I once asked a district leader for the research to support a district-mandated program (Calkins) and was scolded, "This is just what we do and you are expected to teach it. No questions."
A Checklist for School Leaders: 5 Questions Before You Buy Any Program
Who paid for this research? If the answer is the publisher, treat it as marketing.
Was the program tested independently? Look for trials run by universities or outside evaluators.
Was the design experimental? RCTs or quasi-experimental studies carry far more weight than surveys or testimonials.
Does the evidence hold up across contexts? A program that worked in one district or one country may not automatically transfer to yours.
What happens when the binder is gone? Ask how the practices will be sustained after the consultants leave.
The takeaway
We fall for fads because the system rewards urgency, novelty, and marketing over evidence. By asking sharper questions, leaders can protect their teachers and students becoming the next case study in wasted time, money, and trust.
