As reporting of effect sizes in evaluation studies has proliferated, researchers and consumers of research need tools for interpreting or benchmarking the magnitude of those effect sizes that are relevant to the intervention, target population, and outcome measure being considered. Similarly, researchers planning education studies with social and…

Background/Context: Many students in the United States need access to effective writing instruction, with some requiring intensive intervention. Results from the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) in writing over the past 25 years revealed that most students in the U.S. have yet to attain a proficient level of written expression…

This protocol guides the What Works Clearinghouse's (WWC) systematic reviews of evidence relating to college and career readiness for secondary school students in grades 6-12. Reviewers conducting the systematic review should use this protocol in conjunction with version 4.1 of the WWC Standards and Procedures Handbooks and the corresponding Study…

Systematic reviews and meta-analysis are techniques for synthesizing primary empirical studies to produce a summary of effects. To facilitate this goal, the Campbell Collaboration (C2) supports reviews within the disciplines of crime and justice, education, international development, and social welfare. At the annual Campbell Colloquium, experts…

Federal laws mandate that students with cognitive disabilities receive instruction in academic skills and also support the importance of teaching self-determination. The purpose of this literature review was to synthesize intervention research examining effects of self-determination interventions on academic skills for students with cognitive…

Meta-analysis of the effects of 11 types of psychologically based organizational interventions showed that such programs raise worker productivity. The strength of effects vary by type of intervention, criterion of productivity, contextual factors in organizations, and features of research design. Also discussed are comparisons of conclusions…

Meta-analysis of 482 empirical studies on treatment of problem behaviors of individuals with mental retardation found that externally destructive behaviors are less successfully treated than socially disruptive and internally maladaptive behaviors. Also, response contingent procedures were significantly more effective than other procedures.…

Analysis of 117 research articles reporting use of behavioral interventions with single subjects with autism concluded that behavioral treatments are effective in reducing problematic behaviors. Type of target behavior and type of treatment did not moderate average treatment effect. Reliability of observation, number of treatment data points, and…

This meta-analysis of the developmental disabilities literature on remediation of problem behaviors evaluated relations between standards of practice, intervention and participant characteristics, and treatment validity. Results largely failed to support widespread assumptions of clinical practice such as the superiority of more intrusive…

The article reviews three studies (EC 600 064-066) evaluating the effectiveness of using Irlen tinted lenses or overlays with reading-disabled persons. It is concluded that carefully designed and controlled studies do not currently lend support to the Irlen hypothesis. (DB)

Of 193 special education studies that included significant interaction effects based on a two-way analysis of variance design, only 9% interpreted the significant interaction consistent with the accurate explanation of a differential or joint effect. Instead, the cell means comparison procedure explained the interaction in 77% of the…

In the context of a discussion of the use of meta-analysis techniques, two articles take issue with the findings of Casto and Mastropieri concerning effects of early intervention, in particular age-at-start parent involvement, conceptual and methodological problems. The authors of the original article provide rebuttals to the critiques. (JW)

This literature review examined 16 treatment studies which employed electroencephalographic (EEG) biofeedback to treat children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). An introductory section reviews hallmarks of ADHD, its historical background, current diagnostic criteria, etiology, single treatment or symptom focused treatment,…

This study employs meta-analysis and cost-effectiveness instruments to evaluate and compare cross-age tutoring, computer assistance, class size reductions, and instructional time increases for their utility in improving elementary school reading and math scores. Using intervention effect studies as replication models, researchers first estimate…

The annual report presents 1987 activities of the Transition Institute at the University of Illinois which was contracted to assist in evaluating and extending the federal initiative relating to educational and employment difficulties experienced by young people with disabilities. Briefly reported are activities related to the contracted tasks of…