IES publishes practice guide on Improving Reading Comprehension: K -3

A new guide from the Institute for Education Sciences is now available: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/practiceguides/readingcomp_pg_092810.pdf
 An addendum (9/30/10): Here is a summary from the introduction: "....presents a set of evidence-based practices that teachers and other educators can use to successfully teach reading comprehension
to young readers." A record for this report has also been added to the UNLV Libraries catalog.

Practice guide on "Using Student Achievement Data to Support Instructional Decision Making"

Provides a framework for using student achievement data to support instructional decision making, including how to adapt lessons or assignments in response to students' needs, and how to alter classroom goals or objectives or modify student-grouping arrangements.

This practice guide offers five recommendations for creating the organizational and technological conditions that foster effective data use, including: 1) make data part of an ongoing cycle of instructional improvement; 2) teach students to examine their own data and set learning goals; 3) establish a clear vision for school wide data use; 4) provide supports that foster a data-driven culture within the school; and 5) develop and maintain a district wide data system. Each recommendation describes action steps for implementation, as well as suggestions for tackling obstacles that may impede progress. The practice guide was released by the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance at the Institute for Education Sciences.

To view the practice guide, please visit:
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/publications/practiceguides/#dddm_pg

IES Practice Guide: Reducing Problem Behaviors in the Elementary Classroom

Although I don't always agree with the exclusive focus on quantitative research promoted by the What Works Clearinghouse, I think the approach is warranted and fruitful in this area. This Practice Guide provides a detailed review of the evidence in support of 5 intervention strategies along with fairly detailed information for implementation (e.g., exemplar charts for tracking behaviors). Targeted to general classroom teachers of K-5 students (including special education students who spend time in the general classroom).

Practice guide on improving adolescent literacy

"The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC)has released the latest practice guide from the Institute of Education Sciences, "Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices."

....This guide presents practical strategies that classroom teachers and specialists can use to help students in grades 4-12 refine and build upon their reading skills. The recommendations can be integrated into classroom instruction to help students gain more from their reading tasks, improve their motivation for and engagement in the learning process, and assist struggling readers who may need intensive and individualized attention." (announcement from IES)

New IES report: Guidelines for educational research

Here's the abstract from a new set of guidelines (Technical Methods Report: Guidelines for Multiple Testing in Impact Evaluations) on dealing with educational research that attempts to address multiple hypotheses ( by Peter Z. Schochet).

This report presents guidelines for addressing the multiple comparisons problem in impact evaluations in the education area. The problem occurs due to the large number of hypothesis tests that are typically conducted across outcomes and subgroups in these studies, which can lead to spurious statistically significant impact findings. The guidelines, which balance type I and type II errors, involve specifying confirmatory and exploratory analyses in the study protocols, structuring the data by delineating outcome domains, conducting t-tests on composite domain
outcomes, and applying multiplicity correction procedures to composites across domains. Guidelines are discussed for subgroup analyses, designs with multiple treatment groups, power analyses, and reporting impact findings. The report also provides background for applying the guidelines, including a detailed discussion of the multiplicity problem, statistical solutions that are found in the literature, and weighting options for forming composite domain outcomes.

You can find the full report here: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20084018.asp