Developing a culture of evidence to assess and improve teacher preparation programs is a critical issue in American education. Teacher education has been struggling with the challenge of preparing and retaining sufficient numbers of high-quality teachers who can work effectively with students from all cultural and racial backgrounds, raising the…

This protocol guided the review of research that informed the recommendations contained in the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) practice guide "Improving Mathematical Problem Solving in Grades 4 through 8," published in May 2012. The research review involved the following steps: (1) The research staff searched the professional literature…

Making effective use of the findings of research has long been a problem for school leaders. Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of a number of programs, approaches, and techniques, but the gap between what we know and what we are able to implement is a persistent difficulty in the schools. However, the practice and science of…

In a paper published in Volume 11, no. 2, of this journal, Roger Marples argued that the term "spiritual education" is at most superfluous and at worst entirely meaningless. He suggested that the use of the term is unhelpful and will continue to be so unless and until we can identify some body of spiritual knowledge and understanding, linked to…

Recently, social work has been influenced by new forms of practice that hold promise for bringing practice and research together to strengthen the scientific knowledge base supporting social work intervention. The most recent new practice framework is evidence-based practice. However, although evidence-based practice has many qualities that might…

In the United States, cigarette use is the leading cause of preventable death, and most adult smokers started before the age of 18 years. Nicotine dependence maintains tobacco use and makes quitting difficult. Despite their relatively short smoking histories, many adolescents who smoke are nicotine dependent, and such dependence can lead to daily…

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland's education plan calls for modernizing Ohio's K-12 education system, including the state's school-funding system, but the plan's so-called "evidence-based" approach would actually scuttle any modernizing efforts, argues this study issued by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. The governor's funding plan, says…

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) sent a research team to Arizona State University (ASU) on October 20-21, 2008 to conduct interviews with individuals who play important roles in the university's teacher preparation program. These interviews, along with additional documentation provided by ASU and identified by the AED research team,…

Research led by the Consortium on Chicago Public School Research (University of Chicago) and the Center for Social Organization of Schools (Johns Hopkins University), has identified specific indicators--students' academic characteristics--that provide early signals that students are on a path toward dropping out of high school. Measured at…

This paper discusses the most relevant issues concerning teacher evaluation in primary and secondary education by reviewing the recent literature and analysing current practices within the OECD countries. First, it provides a conceptual framework highlighting key features of teacher evaluation schemes. In particular, it emphasises the importance…

Presented at the Annual Meeting of National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) in San Diego, CA in April 2009. This presentation describes the methodology that was used with subject-matter experts (SMEs) to articulate the content and skills important in the domain, and then the iterative processes that were used to articulate the claims…

The evidence is clear. The most effective principals have a clear sense of vision and purpose. They know themselves and their personal ethic. They also recognize the importance of vision to guide their work with teachers and other school personnel. A "clear, strong and collectively held vision" was identified by the North Central Regional…

For many students, particularly for those who are at-risk for school failure, an emphasis on instructional strategies without including the resiliency-building factors will not increase academic achievement. Students thrive academically when instructional practices are effective and the environment in which they learn is nurturing and supporting.…

The aim of this paper is to provide evidence-based guidance for educational practitioners and, in particular, for those in leadership positions in schools, on good practice in developing and implementing school level strategies and actions to promote an appreciation of diversity in schools and society.

QCA specified that science should include "How Science Works" at Key Stage 4 (age 14-16) from 2006. Since then, different "versions" have been specified for inclusion from primary through to A-Level (Orrow-Whiting et al, 2007). HSW seems to act as an umbrella term for part of the curriculum that "focuses on the evidence to…