Published studies of intervention effects probably report effect sizes that are larger than the true effect size. There are probably many reasons for this, but one can be thought of as a "winner's curse." In this essay, I discuss evidence from two recent studies that highlight how evidence clearinghouses might inadvertently expose…

Clearinghouses are influential repositories of information on the effectiveness of social interventions. To identify which interventions are "evidence-based," clearinghouses review intervention evaluations using published standards of evidence that focus primarily on internal validity and causal inferences. Open science practices can…

In 2020, the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) for single-case experimental design (SCED) studies released an updated version of their standards and procedures handbook (Version 4.1). Because of these updates, there is a need to understand the implications for the field in terms of quality rating of the design, and subsequent synthesis of evidence at…

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) is a source that is used to report the empirical evidence for interventions. The purpose of this review was to understand the presence of Black children in research that has been classified as Meeting the Standards With and Without Reservations by the WWC. Results indicated that 16 interventions met the WWC…

Despite a history that can be tracked to 1867, the US Department of Education is a relative newcomer to applying evidence standards to education research. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) reviews intervention research to support evidence-based decision making. This is done by applying standards of research quality to studies and giving those…

Following the theme of the first two presentations, this presentation will focus on the choices available for research synthesis when summarizing research evidence. The presenters will describe the current research synthesis practice of the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) as well as several alternative models, including inverse-variance weighted…

In this article, we trace the development of the Campbell Collaboration and its renewed efforts to build a world library of accurate, synthesized evidence to inform policy and practice and improve human well-being worldwide. Campbell systematic reviews and related evidence synthesis products provide unbiased summaries of entire bodies of empirical…

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…

There are few tools that exist to measure knowledge mobilization (KMb), the process of connecting research to policy and practice across diverse organizations and sectors. This article reports on a comparison of KMb efforts of 105 educational organizations: faculties of education (N = 21), research brokering organizations (N = 44), school…

Education and related services are relying increasingly on empirically supported treatments (ESTs), which have been shown to improve student outcomes through rigorous research. Many organizations have developed review systems with guidelines for judging the quality of studies and identifying ESTs. However, little explicit attention has been paid…

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has made a range of commitments to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians and in particular provide for a better future for Indigenous children. These commitments have re-focused the efforts of everyone working for a better future for Australia's Indigenous people. The Closing the Gap Clearinghouse…

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) seeks to provide educators, policymakers, researchers, and the public with a central and trusted source of scientific evidence for what works in education. The WWC was established in 2002 by the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES). It serves as a decision-making resource by…

Objectives: The purpose of this article is to describe several evidence-based clearinghouses focused on social work and related intervention outcomes, placing them in the context of how such clearinghouses can contribute to research dissemination to foster effective, evidence-based practice. Method: The study employed an analysis of data provided…

A large body of literature documents the central importance of fidelity of program implementation in creating an internally valid research design and considering such fidelity in judgments of research quality. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) provides web-based summary ratings of educational innovations and is the only rating group that is…

In connection with the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009, GAO (Government Accountability Office) was required to study the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), a federal source of evidence about effective education practices. Operating through a 5-year contract awarded by the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the WWC…