OSEP Project Directors’ Conference Washington, DC July 21, 2008 Tools for Bridging the Research to Practice Gap Mary Wagner, Ph.D. SRI International

2 Today’s agenda Introduce two Department of Education activities to bridge the research to practice gap  What Works Clearinghouse practice guides (WWC—Institute of Education Sciences)  Doing What Works website (DWW—ED Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development) The information presented here does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Education or Institute of Education Sciences nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. government.

3 What is a practice guide? Purpose: provide practical recommendations to help educators address the everyday challenges they face in their classrooms and schools. Developed by a panel of nationally recognized experts Contents:  Actionable recommendations  Implementation steps to put recommendations into practice  Strategies for overcoming potential roadblocks  Indication of the strength of evidence supporting each recommendation Subjected to rigorous external peer review

4 WWC standards of evidence Strong = consistent and generalizable evidence that an intervention strategy or program causes an improvement in outcomes (randomized control trial)* Moderate = evidence from studies that:  allow strong causal conclusions but cannot be generalized with assurance to the population on which a recommendation is focused or  are generalizable but have more causal ambiguity than offered by experimental designs (e.g., statistical models of correlational data or nonequivalent control group design) Low = expert opinion based on reasonable extrapolations from research and theory on other topics and evidence from studies that do not meet the standards for moderate or strong evidence. *WWC guidelines consider a positive, statistically significant effect or large (i.e., greater than 0.25) effect size as an indicator of positive effects.

5 Available practice guides Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning Encouraging Girls in Math and Science Turning Around Chronically Low-Performing Schools

6 Example: Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades Recommendations:  Screen for reading problems and monitor progress (strong evidence)  Provide intensive small-group reading interventions (strong evidence)  Provide extensive, varied vocabulary instruction (strong evidence)  Develop academic English (low evidence)  Schedule regular peer-assisted learning opportunities (strong evidence)

7 Example: Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades Expanded description of Recommendation 1  “Conduct formative assessments with English learners  using English language measures of phonological processing, letter knowledge, and word and text reading.  Use these data to identify English learners who require additional instructional support  and to monitor their reading progress over time.”

8 Example: Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades Summary of evidence to support a rating of strong evidence  21studies demonstrate measures of phonological processing, letter and alphabet knowledge, and reading words or text are valid ways to determine which English learners will need more intensive reading instruction  Measures meet standards of the American Psychological Association for valid screening instruments.

9 Example: Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades Implementation steps:  Districts should have procedures and provide training on screening English learners for reading problems  If resources allow, collect progress monitoring (PM) data three times/year for those at risk of reading problems—weekly or biweekly for those at high risk  Use screening and PM data to make decisions about instructional support to help English learners learn to read  Use same benchmarks/standards for English learners and native English speakers.  Provide training on how teachers are to use formative assessment data to guide instruction

10 Example: Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades Example roadblock:  Some teachers believe reading problems may resolve themselves when English learners become proficient in oral English, so hesitate to refer students for additional help or to provide intensive instructional support in foundational areas of beginning reading. Example of possible solution:  Districts should develop/disseminate information asserting that no evidence supports this assumption. Principals and reading coaches can examine school data to see link between kindergarten/first grade measures and later scores on state accountability tests.

11 Practice guides in development Reducing Behavior Problems in the Elementary School Classroom Response to Intervention and Multi- Tiered Intervention for Reading in the Primary Grades Adolescent Literacy Dropout Prevention

12 Doing What Works website Purpose: to help educators identify and make use of effective teaching practices. Disseminates IES practice guides and intervention reports on effective teaching practices Has examples from real schools and teachers (video, slides) of ways practice guide recommendations may be implemented  Must have evidence of positive outcomes  Implementation strategy aligns with research

13 Doing What Works website Offers “Planning Templates”—Tools for TA providers to use in engaging educators and policymakers with the practices recommended by the WWC. They:  Translate information in reviews into practical policy/ program options appropriate to implementation by state, district, and school leaders  Facilitate TA providers and others having a comprehensive conversation on what it takes to implement the coherent set of practices in a Practice Guide, not partial approaches  Encourage systematic consideration of options, identifying what is in place, what new strategies might be good options, and what ideas are not likely to be feasible  Cross-reference existing DWW resources to the specific needs of TA providers and other clients

14 How these tools can be used Professional development—what teachers and other school leaders need to know (and aren’t learning in preservice programs) Dissemination—OSEP channels can help “spread the word” Technical assistance—align with the best knowledge of “what works”

15 For more… Visit the What Works Clearinghouse and Doing What Works websites