עיצוב המדיניות של תכנית המצוינים במכללות (רג״ב: ראש גדול בהוראה) באמצעות שימוש במחקרי בוגרים

Despite recognition of the need to conduct evaluation studies of educational programs and projects, far too often insufficient use is made of them. This article presents an educational program that views research as an inseparable part of its development, and employs it as means for its ongoing formulation. The article describes how the REGEV Program for Excellent Students employed research findings as a means to aid the formulation and implementation of policy changes. Eight nationwide graduate follow-up studies have been conducted on the program. Their findings were studied comprehensively, and policy changes were subsequently made. This process produced a model wherein policy initiates research, which yields findings and conclusions, and in turn leads to policy changes, and so on and so forth. This article illustrates five aspects of the program in which changes were made as a result of graduate studies. For each aspect, a description of the findings obtained in the various studies and their integration is presented, along with the ensuing changes in the policy plan. In conclusion, four factors are raised which may explain how these changes were actually implemented and did not "collect dust on the shelf", as so often happens in educational research. The article concludes with a look at the extent to which this relationship between research and policy has led not only to the introduction of changes, but also to the program's development and improvement.