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Foundational information about scientifically based practice
Scientifically based practice is characterized by: (a) a hypothesis about what
works, or how it works, is formulated; (b) a treatment group and control group
are used in a study to try to disprove the hypothesis; (c) several studies find
the same result; (d) study findings can be applied broadly, to students other
than the ones studied; (e) the study's design measures, and its interpretation
of results, meet rigorous standards of peer review; and (f) results found through
using different approaches all point to the same conclusion.
U.S. Department of Education. (2002). The facts about investing in
what works.
http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/whatworks/whatworks.html
ADDRESSING DIVERSITY IN SPECIAL EDUCATION RESEARCH. (1997). ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education (Cheryl A. Utley, Juniper Gardens Project, University of Kansas, & Festus E. Obiakor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) -- Calls upon researchers to consider issues of cultural diversity, linguistic difference,
and economic disadvantage if their results are to apply to special education. Describes the need for specific attention to: (a) defining terms with precision; (b) examining epistemological considerations related to the study of racial/ethnic groups; and
(c) developing unbiased research methodology and procedures. Full text.
http://www.monarchcenter.org/pdfs/eric461195obiakor.pdf
BRINGING EVIDENCE-DRIVEN PROGRESS TO EDUCATION: A RECOMMENDED STRATEGY FOR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. (November 2002). Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy, Council for Excellence in Government - Notes the lack of progress in K-12 achievement, proposes randomized controlled trials as a key to improvement, and recommends that the U.S. Department of Education provide strong incentives for the widespread use of educational practices proven effective in such randomized controlled trials. The report states that randomized trials are uncommon in educational research, and discusses evidence the designs commonly used produce erroneous results in many cases. Executive summary and full text.
http://www.excelgov.org/displayContent.asp?NewsItemID=4541&Keyword=prppcEvidence
PROCEEDINGS OF THE SEMINAR ON THE MEANING OF SCIENTIFICALLY BASED RESEARCH. (February 2002). Transcript of a seminar sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. Full text.
http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/whatworks/research/index.html
RANDOM ASSIGNMENT IN PROGRAM EVALUATION AND INTERVENTION RESEARCH: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. (2003). Developed by Mathematica Policy Research for the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education (D. Myers & M. Dynarski) -- Explains in simple terms why random assignment of participants to statistically equivalent groups in studies is desirable in education research and program evaluation. Full text.
http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/resources/randomqa.html?exp=0
SCIENCE, EVIDENCE, AND INFERENCE IN EDUCATION: REPORT OF A WORKSHOP, Committee on Scientific Principles in Education Research, National Research Council. (2001). National Academies Press (Lisa Towne, Richard J. Shavelson, & Michael J. Feuer, Eds.) -- Roundtable discussion of the interface of research and practice in education. Full text; searchable.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10121.html
STRATEGIC EDUCATION RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP, National Research Council. (2003). National Academies Press (M. Susan Donovan, A. K. Wigdor, & Catherine E. Snow, Eds.) -- Proposes a large-scale, coherent program of research and development that would put the problems of educational practice at its center, and focus on all stages necessary to influence practice. These include theory testing, the development and evaluation of instructional programs, the study of practice in context, and attention to taking innovations to scale. Full text; searchable.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10670.html
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