Position Statements
Position Statements
 
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Council Endorsement of AAU Principles on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Academia
Adopted by Council, February 4, 2022
Council endorsed the principles set forth by the Association of American Universities (AAU) in October 2021 to prevent sexual harassment in academia and commended the leadership of the AAU for taking this step forward. 
AAU Principles on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Academia 
News Release: AAU Adopts Principles on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Academia 

AERA Issues Statement on the Use of Value-Added Models in Evaluation of Educators and Educator Preparation Programs
November 2015
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) advises those using or considering use of value-added models (VAM) about the scientific and technical limitations of these measures for evaluating educators and programs that prepare teachers. The statement, approved by AERA Council, cautions against the use of VAM for high-stakes decisions regarding educators.

AERA and ASHE Joint Resolution on Tenure and Academic Freedom in Wisconsin
June 2015
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), as the two national scholarly associations devoted to the study of all education and higher education, respectively, affirm the principle that academic freedom, grounded in the tenure process, is essential for high-quality research and teaching. Read more

Council Urges U.S. Ratification of UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities
July 2014
Citing AERA’s “longstanding commitment to access of persons with disabilities in the field of education research, in other scientific fields, and in education across the life span,” this statement endorses a resolution urging U.S. ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
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Council Endorses 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure
July 2014
This statement endorses the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure issued by the American Association of University Professors and the Association of American Colleges and Universities. Council’s endorsement of the 1940 Statement is timed to mark the coming 75th anniversary of the seminal set of principles on the crucial role of academic freedom and tenure in protecting “the free search for truth and its free exposition.”
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AERA Statement on Human Rights
Adopted by Council, April 27, 2013
This Statement affirms the Association’s commitment to the basic human rights of individuals as noted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Specifically, this Statement endorses the right to education and the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress.
AERA Statement on Human Rights (PDF)

Faculty Evaluation
November 2013
In light of the dramatic changes in what faculty do and how colleges and universities are transforming in the 21st century, the AERA report, Rethinking Faculty Evaluation, offers research-based guidelines for rethinking how institutions of higher education evaluate research, scholarship, and teaching for tenure-line faculty. The report makes three general recommendations in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and outreach.
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Non-Tenure-Track Faculty in U.S. Universities
November 2013
With a focus on the dramatic increase in non-tenure-track faculty in schools, colleges, and departments of education – and on the working conditions they encounter – AERA issued a statement and background report on advancing the professional circumstances for these faculty members. The report provides four recommendations for ensuring the future health of the non-tenure-track professoriate.
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Council Support Definition of Scientifically Based Research
June 2008
In response to congressional staff requests, the SBR definition was supported by the AERA Council as a framework that offers sound guidance to members of Congress seeking to include such language in legislation. AERA provided this definition in response to congressional staff requests for an SBR definition that was grounded in scientific standards and principles. The request derived from an interest in averting the inconsistencies and at times narrowness of other SBR definitions used in legislation in recent years.
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Position Statement on High-Stakes Testing
Adopted by Council, July 2000
The AERA Position Statement on High-Stakes Testing is based on the 1999 Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. The statement is intended as a guide and a caution to policy makers, testing professionals, and test users involved in high-stakes testing programs.
AERA Position Statement on High-Stakes Testing in Pre-K – 12 Education