Advancing Education: What Works Clearinghouse Updates and Future Directions

1. What’s Next for the What Works Clearinghouse Mark Dynarski 2008 IES Research Conference June 2008

2. A brief history • Launched in 2002 to be a central and trusted source of scientific evidence • Identifies topic areas, develops standards, begins reviewing research literature • To date, reviewed over 1,600 studies of almost 400 interventions • Released 90 intervention reports, 5 topic reports, 4 practice guides, 5 quick reviews

3. Themes • Objective: Bring answers to educators • Focus groups: Educators want clear information quickly • Practice guides seen as useful and pitched at the right level

4. Current review activities • Four active areas • Beginning reading, middle school math, early childhood education, dropout prevention • New areas • Adolescent literacy, high school math and science, writing, professional development, out-of-school time • Special education topics: dyslexia, ADHD, behavior, autism

5. Practice Guides • Four released • Two nearing release (adolescent literacy and dropout prevention) • Two being prepared • Response to intervention (reading) • Behavior in the classroom • More underway • Response to intervention (math) • Preparing low-income students for college • Out of school time • Data-driven decision making

6. Quick Reviews • Purpose: assess whether recent high-visibility research is consistent with WWC standards • Five released, more in progress, wide range of topics • After-school programs • Student drug testing • Computer-based instruction in pre-algebra • Financial incentives for AP grades • Sixth grade in middle or elementary school

7. Example of Quick Review

8. Under development • Standards for Single-Subject and Regression Discontinuity Designs • Enhancements to existing standards • Attrition • Equivalence in quasi-experimental designs • Extent of evidence • Registry of Randomized Trials

9. Suggestions or comments? E-mail to info@whatworks.ed.gov or Go to “Contact” on whatworks.ed.gov