The purpose of this paper is to describe best practices in designing and implementing strong quasi-experimental designs (QED) when assessing the effectiveness of policies, programs or practices. The paper first discusses the issues researchers face when choosing to conduct a QED, as opposed to a more rigorous randomized controlled trial design.…

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…

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) aims to synthesize and disseminate the results of high-quality education research on areas of significant public interest. The WWC has come to serve as a concrete example of the growing willingness of the federal government to shape both the topic and methods chosen by researchers. However, the scope of research…

Regression discontinuity (RD) designs are increasingly used by researchers to obtain unbiased estimates of the effects of education-related interventions. These designs are applicable when a continuous "scoring" rule is used to assign the intervention to study units (for example, school districts, schools, or students). Under an RD…

An early version of this article, discussing curricular interventions in mathematics, was written for the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC). The Institute of Education Sciences (IES), which funds WWC, instructed WWC not to publish it. An expanded version, written at WWC's invitation for a special issue of an independent electronic journal and a book…

Most of the off-the-shelf mathematics programs used in middle schools across the United States have little or no rigorous evidence attesting to their effectiveness. The U.S. Department of Education analysis based on a review of studies undergirding 44 math programs used in grades 6-9, including some of the nation's most popular textbooks for those…

After nearly two years in development, a new federally backed research service on "what works" in education began rolling its first products off the assembly line. Launched with $18.5 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Education, the newly operational What Works Clearinghouse is the department's electronic version of a "Consumer…