The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) uses the term "baseline equivalence" when determining if the intervention group (those that received the intervention of interest) and the comparison group (those that did not receive the intervention) had characteristics that were similar enough ("equivalent") at the start of the study (at…

"Odyssey® Math" is a web-based program developed by Compass Learning® for mathematics instruction in grades K-8. The online program includes a mathematics curriculum and formative assessments designed to support differentiated and data-driven instruction. Based on assessment results, the program generates an individualized sequence of…

The "New Teacher Center (NTC) Induction Model" is a systemic approach to support beginning teachers (i.e., teachers new to the profession). Based on the research, the "NTC Induction Model" was found to have no discernible effects on teacher retention in the school district, teacher retention in the profession, or teacher…

The 2013 study, "The Effectiveness of Secondary Math Teachers from Teach for America and the Teaching Fellows Programs," examined whether students taught by teachers in the "Teach for America" ("TFA") and "The New Teacher Project Teaching Fellows" ("Teaching Fellows") programs had greater…

The 2013 study, "The Effectiveness of Secondary Math Teachers from Teach for America and the Teaching Fellows Programs," examined whether students taught by teachers in the "Teach for America" ("TFA") and "The New Teacher Project Teaching Fellows" ("Teaching Fellows") programs had greater…

For the 2014 study, "The Iterative Development and Initial Evaluation of We Have Skills!, an Innovative Approach to Teaching Social Skills to Elementary Students", researchers examined the effects of We Have Skills! (WHS), a supplemental, video-based social skills program for early elementary students. WHS consists of three components:…

Early College High Schools partner with colleges and universities to provide students with an opportunity to earn an Associate's degree or college credits toward a Bachelor's degree at no or low cost to students. In a recent study, researchers found that attending Early College High Schools improved some high school and postsecondary outcomes for…

"Career Academies" is a dropout prevention strategy for youth considered most at risk of dropping out of high school. Students in the program take both career-related and academic courses and acquire work experience through partnerships with local employers. "Career Academies" integrate rigorous academic curricula with career…

The 2011 study, "Benefits of Practicing 4 = 2 + 2: Nontraditional Problem Formats Facilitate Children's Understanding of Mathematical Equivalence," examined the effects of addition practice using nontraditional problem formats on students' understanding of mathematical equivalence. In nontraditional problem formats, operations appear on…

The study authors examined the impact of "Responsive Classroom," a professional development program for teachers, on student achievement. This study took place in a large, ethnically and socioeconomically diverse district in a mid-Atlantic state. The intervention was implemented during 3 school years from 2008 to 2011. Study authors…

"Spelling Mastery" is designed to explicitly teach spelling skills to students in grades 1 through 6. One of several Direct Instruction curricula from McGraw-Hill that precisely specify how to teach incremental content, "Spelling Mastery" includes phonemic, morphemic, and whole-word strategies. The What Works Clearinghouse…

This study investigated the effect of daily quizzes on the performance of college students. Students in an introductory psychology course used their own wireless-enabled devices to take short Internet-based quizzes at the beginning of every class. The quiz items were drawn approximately equally from material covered in the readings and the…

For the 2013 study, "Transfer Incentives for High-Performing Teachers: Final Results from a Multisite Randomized Experiment," researchers examined the impact of the Talent Transfer Initiative (TTI) on students' reading and mathematics achievement in 10 school districts. The TTI enabled principals of low-performing schools to provide…

The 2013 study, "Interactive Learning Online at Public Universities: Evidence From a Six-Campus Randomized Trial," examined the impact of interactive learning online (ILO) on the pass rates of 605 students enrolled in introductory statistics courses at six public universities. ILO is a form of online course instruction in which…

The study reviewed here examined the effect of charter schools on annual student achievement growth in reading and math in 25 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City. The study primarily used data on students in grades 3-8, but additional elementary and high school grades were included for several states. The authors reported that…