Brian Ray Archives

Understanding Surveys and Stats with NHERI’s Dr Brian Ray – MBFLP 145

This is a data-driven society, or at least, it claims to be. “The surveys said” or “Research indicates,” or “Studies show” are assumed to be _proof_, but a famous politician observed that “There are lies, and there are damn lies, and there are statistics.”

How can we look at news of the latest polling or study and begin to discern what may be valid, and what may be false, in the daily flood of data? How can we sort out science from propaganda? How can we avoid being deceived or just misled by bad methods or bad intent?

Dr. Brian Ray, the founder and head researcher for the National Home Education Research Institute, talked with Hal at the HSLDA National Home School Leadership Conference, about things we should understand when confronted with “research.”

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National Home Education Research Institute

Home School Legal Defense Association

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MBFLP – In God We Trust; All Others Bring Data

Often we think we know, but can’t prove it to a skeptic. Homeschooling is one example; we like what we see in our family, but admit that maybe our experience isn’t the norm. Lawmakers, public school officials, and the media want something more concrete than our personal story; that’s where it’s important to have serious, scientific research to back up our experience. This episode, we interview Dr. Brian Ray, founder and director of the National Home Education Research Institute — for decades, the “go-to” man for data on who homeschoolers are, why they do what they do, and what the results look like!