Evidence in the Wild

Reimagining Federal Education Research with Amber Northern

Amber Northern, Senior VP for Research at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and Senior Advisor at the Department of Education, joins us to discuss her recent paper Reimagining the Institute of Education Sciences. In this episode, she shares which strategic shifts would make IES more relevant, responsive, and useful to educators on the ground. Key themes include closing the gap between research and practice, accelerating the research cycle, making better use of data already being collected, and rethinking how evidence reaches practitioners. Read Amber Northern's full report - Reimagining the Institute of Education Sciences [https://ies.ed.gov/ies/2026/02/reimagining-ies] Curious to learn more or want to get in touch? Reach out to us at rockymountain-research.org [https://rockymountain-research.org/]

Mitch Weathers & Sarah Oberle: Putting Executive Function into Every Classroom

From designing school-wide organizational systems for high schoolers to studying the science of learning in the earliest grades, Mitch Weathers and Sarah Oberle have spent decades observing how executive function shapes student learning. In this episode, they join us to unpack what executive function actually is, and how every K–3 teacher can start supporting it tomorrow without overhauling their entire practice. Mitch and Sarah also dig into the science behind working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility, and what their new book, Executive Functions for Every K–3 Classroom, offers teachers hungry for research-backed, classroom-ready strategies. Order Executive Functions for Every K–3 Classroom [https://www.corwin.com/books/exec-functions-k-3-298245?srsltid=AfmBOopybU7j9yKFWfL54BCEx_HYvtFw3JdUFwGS_0xZtZOf0syQ1OYx]: Promoting Self-Regulation for a Strong Start Mitch Weathers – organizedbinder.com [https://organizedbinder.com/] Sarah Oberle – sarahoverlay.com [https://sarahoberle.com/] Curious to learn more or want to get in touch? Reach out to us at rockymountain-research.org [https://rockymountain-research.org/]

Meet Them Where They Are: Anousheh Shayestehpour on Pacific Education and Test Taking

This episode contains a brief mention of student suicidal ideation. From tutoring peers in a classroom to shaping federal education policy, Anousheh Shayestehpour has seen American education from every level. In this episode, she joins us to unpack the tension between standardized testing and real student growth, including how 'No Child Left Behind' shifted the focus from skills to scores, and while the data testing provides is valuable, the culture built around it is a different story. Anousheh also reflects on her work with Pacific Island communities, freely associated states, and Indigenous nations, and what a community-based, relationship-first approach to education can teach the rest of us. Anousheh Shayestehpour - Lab Rats Education  [https://labratseducation.com/] Curious to learn more or want to get in touch? Reach out to us at rockymountain-research.org [https://rockymountain-research.org/]

Art, Evidence, and Bonsai in Education with Ryan Neil

In this episode of Evidence in the Wild, Josh sits down with internationally recognized bonsai artist Ryan Neil, founder of Bonsai Mirai [https://bonsaimirai.com/] and the nonprofit One Tree Project, to explore an unexpected but powerful intersection of bonsai, youth development, and the psychology of measurement. Bonsai is so much more than horticulture. It becomes a living metaphor for developmental science: slow growth, intentional shaping, environmental responsiveness, and the cultivation of potential over time. Curious to learn more? See how we are advancing learning and research at rockymountain-research.org [https://rockymountain-research.org/]

From Layoffs to Leadership: David Blumenthal on Building What Comes Next

In this reflective and forward-looking conversation, Josh Stewart sits down with education researcher and entrepreneur David Blumenthal to unpack what 2025 meant for the research and evaluation community. Following mass federal layoffs and deep uncertainty across the education research sector, David shares how he navigated professional upheaval, transitioned into independent consulting, and ultimately founded a new AI-driven education technology company. Together, Josh and David explore personal and nationwide resilience, and the widening gap between research and classroom practice.  Explore David's project Eddie AI [https://www.eddieai.net/], a tool designed to assist educators in making better, evidence-based decisions. Curious to learn more? See how we’re advancing learning and research at rockymountain-research.org [https://rockymountain-research.org/]