Evidence-Based Decision Making Overview

Increasing education’s reliance on evidence to guide decisions requires a significant change in the culture of districts and schools. This paper reviews the implications of moving toward evidence-based education.

The notion of best available evidence implies that some evidence is better than other. This paper reviews different sources of evidence and the relative strengths and limitations of each type.

The systematic review process is an assessment and, as such, concerns about validity of the assessment are paramount.  In this paper, we review the considerations that are important in reaching conclusions about the adequacy of a systematic review.

Evidence-based practice is a framework for decision making.  Even with high quality evidence there are likely sources of uncertainty that practitioners must confront.

This article examines the evidence-based practice decision-making heuristic in the broader context of clinical decision making.

Synopsis: Evidence-based practice is characterized as a framework for decision-making integrating best available evidence, clinical expertise, and client values and context.  This paper reviews how these three dimensions interact to inform decisions.

Evidence-based, empirically-supported, and best practice are often used interchangeably. A case is made that for clarity each term should have a separate and distinct meaning.

Fidelity of implementation is a critical but often neglected component of any new system, practice, or intervention in educational research and practice. Fidelity is a multidimensional construct focused on providing evidence of adherence, quality, dosage, differentiation, and responsiveness following implementation. Unfortunately, fidelity has not always been prioritized, although evidence suggests that is changing, at least in published research.

This paper examines the types of research to consider when evaluating programs, how to know what “evidence’ to use, and continuums of evidence (quantity of the evidence, quality of the evidence, and program development).

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

This paper outlines the best practices for researchers and practitioners translating research to practice as well as recommendations for improving the process.

Applied behavior analysis emphasizes being scientifically-based In this paper, we discuss how the core features of evidence-based practice can be integrated into applied behavior analysis.

This article allows readers to determine if a specific study is a credible example of single-subject research and if a specific practice or procedure has been validated as “evidence-based” via single-subject research.

To produce better outcomes for students two things are necessary: (1) effective, scientifically supported interventions (2) those interventions implemented with high integrity.  Typically, much greater attention has been given to identifying effective practices.  This review focuses on features of high quality implementation.

This article focuses on the most fundamental question regarding evidence-based practice: What is evidence? To address this question, the authors first review several of the definitions, criteria, and strategies that have been used to define scientific evidence.

This paper examines a range of education failures: common mistakes in how new practices are selected, implemented, and monitored. The goal is not a comprehensive listing of all education failures but rather to provide education stakeholders with an understanding of the importance of vigilance when implementing new practices.

This item provides information for practitioners on how to interpret effect sizes found in research papers.

Systematic data-based decision making is critical to insure that educators are able to identify, implement, and trouble shoot evidence-based interventions customized to individual students and needs.

This paper examines the critical pracitce elements of data-based decision making and strategies for building school cultures to support the process.

This paper examines the issues, challenges, and opportunities of creating a school culture that uses data systematically in all of its decision making.

This paper reviews the legal and ethical basis for relying on scientifically supported interventions to improve outcomes for students.

On the face of it, the mandate to utilize scientifically supported interventions to improve outcomes seems obvious and straighforward. The paper reviews the challenges involved in doing so.

This paper examines the types of research to consider when evaluating programs, how to know what “evidence’ to use, and continuums of evidence (quantity of the evidence, quality of the evidence, and program development).

This paper outlines the best practices for researchers and practitioners translating research to practice as well as recommendations for improving the process.

This paper examines the policy, culture, and system obstacles to progam sustainability, and identifies strategies to overcome these obstacles.

This paper offers an overview of issues practitioners must consider in selecting practices. Types of evidence, sources of evidence, and the role of professional judgment are discussed as cornerstones of effective evidenced-based decision-making.

This paper examines the latest research on which practice elements are essential for interventions to survive and thrive over time.