Education Drivers

Generic Practice Elements

An evidence-based education model provides teachers, administrators, and decision makers with practice options that offer the greatest likelihood of success. In an evidence-based decision-making framework, research results are derived from a continuum of evidence and decision makers must make decisions on the best available evidence even when the evidence is limited. Often educators want multi-component practices that are ready for implementation; however, in many cases there is limited evidence of their effectiveness. Multi-component packages, including commercial curricula, consist of combinations of discrete elements (practice elements). These practice elements are fundamental units and, are often thoroughly vetted and frequently used in practices and curricula across most disciplines. Ample evidence is available supporting many practice elements including differential reinforcement, active student responding, feedback, assessment, ignoring (extinction), and mastery learning. For better decision-making, multi-component packages such as curricula can be evaluated to determine the extent to which they are constructed of practice elements supported by evidence. Evaluation increases the likelihood of decisions that improve student performance.

Publications

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Implementing the Findings of Research: Bridging the Gap between Knowledge and Practice

This book provides a guide to the conceptual and practical knowledge principals, superintendents, and other school leaders need to implement evidence-based educational innovations.

Wallace, F., Blasé, K., Fixsen, D., & Naoom, S. (2008). Implementing the Findings of Research: Bridging the Gap between Knowledge and Practice. Educational Research Service.

 

Data Mining

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How do students of different socio-economic status learn during the school year and over the summer break? (Math Learning Seasonality vs Socio-economic Status)

An analysis of math test results compared at the beginning and end of each school year and the impact on learning of summer break by socio-economic status.

Alexander, K. L., Entwisle, D. R., & Olson, L. S. (2001). Schools, achievement, and inequality: A seasonal perspective. Educational evaluation and policy analysis, 23(2), 171-191. 

Have reading scores improved over 40-plus years of school reform?

This review examines student reading performance since 1971 to look for evidence of school reform's impact.

Keyworth, R. (2015). Have reading scores improved over 40-plus years of school reform? Retrieved from have-reading-scores-improved865.

Which approaches to teaching science have the greatest impact on student achievement?

This review looks at research on how to effectively teach science.

States, J. (2014). Which approaches to teaching science have the greatest impact on student achievement? Retrieved from which-approaches-teaching-science914.

How do students of different socio-economic status learn during the school year and over the summer break? (Reading Learning Seasonality vs Socio-economic Status)
An analysis of reading test results compared at the beginning and end of each school year and the impact on learning of summer break by socio-economic status .
Gibson, S. (2011). How do students of different socio-economic status learn during the school year and over the summer break? (Reading Learning Seasonality vs Socio-economic Status) Retrieved from how-do-students-of822.
Has student mathematics proficiency improved over the past 20+ years?
This review looks at student math performance since 1992 for trends and to determine the level of progress for student in the United States.
Keyworth, R. (2015). Has student mathematics proficiency improved over the past 20+ years? Retrieved from has-student-mathematics-proficiency.
Has student reading proficiency improved over the past 20+ years?
This review looks at student reading performance since 1992 for trends and to determine the level of progress for student in the United States.
Keyworth, R. (2015). Has student reading proficiency improved over the past 20+ years? Retrieved from has-student-reading-proficiency.
Have mathematics scores improved over 40-plus years of school reform?
This review examines student math performance since 1971 to look for evidence of school reform's impact.
Keyworth, R. (2015). Have mathematics scores improved over 40-plus years of school reform? Retrieved from have-mathematics-scores-improved.
How does math proficiency correlate with a student's socio-economic status?
This analysis examines the influence of poverty on student math performance across grade levels.
Keyworth, R. (2015). How does math proficiency correlate with a student's socio-economic status? Retrieved from how-does-math-proficiency.
How does reading proficiency correlate with a student's socio-economic status?
This analysis examines the influence of poverty on student reading performance across grade levels.
Keyworth, R. (2015). How does reading proficiency correlate with a student's socio-economic status? Retrieved from how-does-reading-proficiency.
How effective are teacher-training programs at teaching the skills of reading?
This review lookes at teacher pre-service efforts to provide comprehensive instruction in the 5 critical practice elements identified for effective reading instruction.
States, J. (2011). How effective are teacher-training programs at teaching the skills of reading? Retrieved from how-effective-are-teacher.
What are the most effective ways for teachers to teach reading?
This analysis examines the critical practice elements for effective teaching of reading. The piece also looks at practices that have been shown to be less effective.
States, J. (2011). What are the most effective ways for teachers to teach reading? Retrieved from what-are-most-effective.
What does science tell us about teaching reading?
This review examines the evidence that identifies the critical practice elements for effective reading instruction.
States, J. (2011). What does science tell us about teaching reading? Retrieved from what-does-science-tell.
What are the components of effective mathematics instruction?
This analysis looks at a practice guide from The What Works Clearing House that provides practitioners with essential practice elements for effective instruction in mathematics.
States, J. (2012). What are the components of effective mathematics instruction? Retrieved from what-are-components-of.
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Evidence-Based Practice: How Did It Emerge and What Does It Mean for the Early Childhood Field?.

The authors discuss the emergence of the evidence-based practice movement and the challenges of integrating what we know from scientific research into daily practice with children and families.

Buysse, V., & Wesley, P. W. (2006). Evidence-Based Practice: How Did It Emerge and What Does It Mean for the Early Childhood Field?. Zero to Three (J)27(2), 50-55.

The Tragicomedy of Public Education, Laughing and Crying, Thinking and Fixing

James M. Kauffman’s new volume, The Tragicomedy of Public Education, is a thoughtful and highly readable commentary on American schools that digs deeply into the core system of what is wrong and what is right about educational policy and practice in our country.

Ellens, J. H. (2010). The Tragicomedy of Public Education, Laughing and Crying, Thinking and Fixing. Journal of Psychology and Christianity29(4), 366.

Teaching needy kids in our backward system: 42 years of trying

This study designed to discover which models were superior in teaching basic skills and which excelled in teaching higher-order thinking skills, also which models had kids with the strongest sense of personal responsibility and which kids had the highest self-images.

Engelmann, S. (2007). Teaching needy kids in our backward system: 42 years of trying. ADI Press.

Could John Stuart Mill have saved our schools

This book compares what actually occurred since publication of A System of Logic with some of the more probable scenarios of what could have happened if education had been framed as a science that resides on a logical-empirical base.

Englemann, S., & Carnine, D. (2016). Could John Stuart Mill have saved our schools?. Attainment Company Inc.

The challenges of implementing evidence based practice: Ethical considerations in practice, education, policy, and research.

This paper identified and discussed some of the more pressing challenges and associated ethical dilemmas of implementing EBP in social work and strategies to manage them, in the hopes of affirming that the process of EBP is both feasible and practicable.

Farley, A. (2009). The challenges of implementing evidence based practice: ethical considerations in practice, education, policy, and research. Social Work & Society7(2), 246-259.

Enrollment and Employees in Postsecondary Institutions Fall 2016; and Financial Statistic and Academic Libraries, Fiscal Year 2016

The purpose of this report is to introduce new data through tables containing descriptive information, such as totals, averages, and percentages. The findings presented here demonstrate the range of information available through IPEDS; they include only a sample of the information collected and are not meant to emphasize any particular issue. While only a small amount of the data included in the spring 2017 collection are displayed in this

Ginder, S. A., Kelly-Reid, J. E., & Mann, F. B. (2017). Enrollment and Employees in Postsecondary Institutions, Fall 2016; and Financial Statistics and Academic Libraries, Fiscal Year 2016. First Look (Provisional Data). NCES 2018-002. National Center for Education Statistics.

How Does Reading Proficiency Correlate With a Student's Socio-Economic Status?

This analysis examines the influence of poverty on student reading performance across grade levels.

Keyworth, R. (2015). How does reading proficiency correlate with a student's socio-economic status? Oakland, CA: The Wing Institute. Retrieved from https://www.winginstitute.org/how-does-reading-proficiency

Escalante: The best teacher in America

Jaime Escalante is an outstanding example of excellence and dedication. This is the story of his entire career, including the development of the teaching techniques that got such brilliant results from the desperate students of gang-ridden Garfield High in East Los Angeles.

Mathews, J. (1989) Escalante: The best teacher in America. New York:Henry Hold and Co

Monitoring Response to General Education Instruction

The purpose of this chapter is to describe a critical component of the response-to-
intervention (RTI) process: monitoring student response to general education instruction.

McMaster, K. L., & Wagner, D. (2007). Monitoring response to general education instruction. In Handbook of response to intervention (pp. 223-233). Springer, Boston, MA.

Equality and Quality in U.S. Education: Systemic Problems, Systemic Solutions. Policy Brief

This paper enters debate about how U.S. schools might address long-standing disparities in educational and economic opportunities while improving the educational outcomes for all students. with a vision and an argument for realizing that vision, based on lessons learned from 60 years of education research and reform efforts. The central points covered draw on a much more extensive treatment of these issues published in 2015. The aim is to spark fruitful discussion among educators, policymakers, and researchers.

O'Day, J. A., & Smith, M. S. (2016). Equality and Quality in US Education: Systemic Problems, Systemic Solutions. Policy Brief. Education Policy Center at American Institutes for Research.

PISA 2015 Results in Focus

Over the past decade, the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment, PISA, has become the world’s premier yardstick for evaluating the quality, equity and efficiency of school systems. This special issue of the PISA in Focus series highlights the results of the first two volumes of the PISA 2015 initial report: Excellence and Equity in Education; and Policies and Practices for Successful Schools.

OECD Publishing (2016). PISA 2015 Results in Focus. PISA in Focus,67. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1787/aa9237e6-en.

Barriers to the Preparation of Highly Qualified Teachers in Reading. TQ Research & Policy Brief.

This paper pointed out three prominent points of impact in addressing the poor performance of America’s fourth-graders on national examinations of reading proficiency. 

Smartt, S. M., & Reschly, D. J. (2007). Barriers to the Preparation of Highly Qualified Teachers in Reading. TQ Research & Policy Brief. National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality.

Myths and Misconceptions about Teaching: What Really Happens in the Classroom.

In this book the author describes six teaching myths that prevent reform in education. 

Snider, V. (2006). Myths and Misconceptions about Teaching: What Really Happens in the Classroom. Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, 4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706.

Evidence-Based Kernels: Fundamental Units Of Behavioral Influence
This paper describes evidence-based kernels; the fundamental units of behavioral underlie effective practices.
Embry, D. D., & Biglan, A. (2008). Evidence-based kernels: Fundamental units of behavioral influence. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 11(3), 75-113.
Involving teachers in data-driven decision making: Using computer data systems to support teacher inquiry and reflection.
This paper outlines effective practices such as accountability reporting and user-friendly data access in the use of student data.
Wayman, J. C. (2005). Involving teachers in data-driven decision making: Using computer data systems to support teacher inquiry and reflection. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 10(3), 295-308.
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Practicewise

PracticeWise works primarily in mental health to support individuals working with children and families to be more informed and more prepared, through established knowledge management strategies and resources. The services include professional training, online information resources, books and guides, organizational consultation, and service system design and management.

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