The central roles of science in the field of remedial and special education are to (a) identify basic laws of nature and (b) apply those laws in the design of practices that achieve socially valued outcomes. The scientific process is designed to allow demonstration of specific (typically positive) outcomes, and to assist in the attribution of…

To counteract what we see as a growing research-reporting concern, we propose the following editorial-policy change regarding the content of primary research articles in educational research journals: Contributors should restrict their discussion and conclusions to their data and not offer recommendations for educational practice nor speculate…

In this article, we respond to Wolery's critique of the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) pilot "Standards," which were developed by the current authors. We do so to provide additional information and clarify some points previously summarized in this journal. We also respond to several concerns raised by Maggin, Briesch, and Chafouleas…

A prescriptive statement is a recommendation that, if a course of action is taken, then a desirable outcome will likely occur. For example, in reading research recommending that teachers apply an intervention targeted at a specific reading skill to improve children's reading performance is a prescriptive statement. In our view, these statements…

Outlines concerns that must be addressed by those who advocate replacing statistical hypothesis-testing with alternative data-analysis strategies. Suggests that commonly recommended alternatives are not perfect and that various hypothesis-testing modifications can be implemented to make the process and its conclusions more credible. Hypothesis…

Supports a two-step approach to the estimation and discussion of effect sizes, making a distinction between single-study decision-oriented research and multiple-study synthesis. Introduces and illustrates the concept of "conclusion coherence." (Author/SLD)