1. Are Evidence-Based Practice Websites Trustworthy and Accessible?
2015 Leadership Conference
“All In: Achieving Results Together”
Are Evidence-Based Practice Websites Trustworthy and Accessible?
David W. Test
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Paper presented at the OSEP Leadership Conference, July 28, 2015, Washington, DC.

2. Session Goals
This session will provide administrators with a starter list of websites that can be trusted to contain high-quality resources teachers can use to learn about and use evidence-based instructional practices, as well as a simple, four-step process for evaluating other websites.

3. Evidence-based Education
Integration of stakeholder values, practitioner expertise, and the best available evidence
Evidence-based practices (EBPs) are practices supported by the best available evidence used in evidence-based education
EBPs are instructional practices shown to be generally effective (for a population of learners in an outcome area) by a body of high-quality, experimental research studies

4. Why Use Online Resources?
While professional journals include reviews that identify EBPs, Beach et al. (2007) found teachers seldom read these journals.
Twyman and Sota (2008) and Kretlow and Blatz (2011) suggested educators use the Internet to access information about EBPs.
Jones (2009) found all participants in her study used the Internet as a major source for information to improve their classroom instruction.
Although numerous websites claim to provide consumers with information about EBPs, only a few are trustworthy and accessible

5. Trustworthiness (Carnine, 1997)
The degree to which practitioners can have confidence in quality of the research and findings. Evaluated by examining the research methodology according to specific quality indicators (e.g., demonstrating use of appropriate research design, socially-valid research questions, adequate replication).
IES/WWC standards
CEC standards
Campbell Collaborative
NSTTAC/NTACT standards
National Autism Center standards

6. Accessibility (Carnine, 1997)
The ease with which educators can find and use information to implement an evidence-based practice.
Ease of navigation, defined as the number of navigational clicks necessary to locate an EBP;
Type of implementation materials, meaning a website had:
(a) clear descriptions of EBPs (e.g., overview, systematic reviews, fact sheets, EBP briefs);
(b) resources to teach practitioners how to implement the practice with fidelity (e.g., learning modules, webinars); and
(c) materials for classroom application (e.g., downloadable materials, lesson plans, task analysis for EBP, data collection sheets).

7. Four Steps to Simplify the EBP Search Process
1. Does the site claim to have evidence-based practices? If yes, the site references “research” move to step 2… 2. Does it link to research, provide articles or links that demonstrate the effectiveness of the intervention through measures of credible, reliable evidence (i.e., What Works Clearinghouse, NSTTAC, RTI, Horner/Gersten)? If yes, move to step 3… 3. Are the practices easily accessible and require minimal navigation (three or fewer clicks)? If yes, move to step 4… 4. Are there clear descriptions of practices and a variety of implementation materials for teachers and students for downloading? If yes, try it, but collect student data to see if it works!

8. If you do not have time to do steps 1-4, start with this list…
Websites
Types of Practices
Trustworthiness
(Trust rating)
Accessibility:
Ease of Navigation
Types of Implementation
3-C Institute for Social Development
Social skills, literacy, behavioral
(R)
($)
Center on Instruction
Literacy, STEM
ELL, RTI
Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
Behavioral
Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning
Behavioral, social skills, communication
Florida Center for Reading Research
Literacy and reading
National Center on Intensive Intervention at American Institutes for Research
Academic and behavioral
Codes
Trustworthiness
Accessibility: Ease of Navigation
Accessibility: Type of
Implementation Materials
Trust; quality of evidence is explicit
1-2 navigational clicks
Includes all 3 types of materials:
Clear description of EBPs
Materials for training teachers to implement EBPs
Materials for classroom application
Trust with Caution; quality of evidence was implicit
3 navigational clicks
Includes any 2 types of materials
Do Not Trust; quality not found
4 or more navigational clicks
Includes only 1 type of material
Note: (R) = Need to register on website to attain EBP information, ($) = Need to pay for EBP information.

9. Types of Implementation
this list continues…
Websites
Types of Practices
Trustworthiness
(Trust rating)
Accessibility:
Ease of Navigation
Types of Implementation
National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center
Secondary transition
Reading Rockets
Literacy, ELLs, technology
The IRIS Center
Academic, assessment, behavior, secondary transition
The National Center on Response to Intervention
Academic and behavioral
The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders
Communication, social skills, behavioral, technology-aided interventions, systematic instruction, visual supports
(R)
Note: (R) = Need to register on website to attain EBP information, ($) = Need to pay for EBP information.

10. David Test University of North Carolina at Charlotte dwtest@uncc.edu
Thank You!
David Test University of North Carolina at Charlotte