ERIC ED480091: A Call for Evidence: Responding to the New Emphasis on Scientifically Based Research.

35 Pages·2003·0.8 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 480 091
CS 512 381
A Call for Evidence: Responding to the New Emphasis on
TITLE
Scientifically Based Research.
North Central Regional Educational Lab., Oak Brook, IL.
INSTITUTION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED),
SPONS AGENCY
Washington, DC.
2003-00-00
PUB DATE
34p.; Theme issue. Published quarterly.
NOTE
ED-01-00-0011
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AVAILABLE FROM
North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, Editorial
Offices: NCREL, 1120 E. Diehl Rd., #200, Naperville, IL
60563. Tel: [phone] (Toll Free) .
For full text:
http://www.ncrel.org/ info/n1p/index.html.
Collected Works
PUB TYPE
Serials (022)
Reports
Evaluative (142)
JOURNAL CIT
NCREL's Learning Point; v5 nl Spr 2003
EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
Educational Quality; Elementary Secondary Education;
*Literacy; Parent Teacher Cooperation; *Reading Research
IDENTIFIERS
No Child Left Behind Act 2001; North Central Regional
Educational Laboratory; Ohio; What Works
ABSTRACT
-This Spring 2003 issue of the "Learning Point," the North
Central Regional Educational Lab's (NCREL) magazine, focuses on the theme "A
Call for Evidence Responding to the New Emphasis on Scientifically Based
Research." Articles and materials in the issue are: "Wake-Up Call: Facing the
Challenge to Use Scientifically Based Research in Schools" (Sheryl Poggi),
which notes that the No Child Left Behind Act references the use of
scientifically based research over 100 times within the pages of the
legislation; "Digging Out: How to Avoid Getting Buried under a Mountain of
Research" (Danielle Carnahan and Michele Fitzpatrick); "The Communication
Gap: Building Effective Parent-Teacher Partnerships" (Ann Kinder); NCREL News
and Notes; "Faces of NCREL: Laine Strives for High Quality in
Education" (Rebecca Phillips); "Schools on the Rise--Get REAL: Evidence-Based
Change Yields Success in Ohio" (Mary Kathleen O'Kelly); "Partners for
Success--Walking the Walk--The What Works Clearinghouse" (Chris Otto); and
"Point of Reference--Perspectives from the NCREL Resource Center: Need
Research? Ask Us" (Arlene Hough).
(NKA)
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
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Learning Point: Fall 2002
KICREL
North Central Rolónal EducatIonalLabóra
NCREL's Learning Point Magazine
Current Issue
Spring 2003
Volume 5, No. 1
A Call for Evidence
Responding to the New
Emphasis on Scientifically
Based Research
Table of Contents
Cover Story
Wake-Up Call
By Sheryl Poggi
Facing the Challenge to Use
Scientifically Based Research
in Schools
Current Issue
Features
Digging Out
Spring 2003: A Call for
By Danielle Carnahan and
Evidence, Responding to the
Michele Fitzpatrick
New Emphasis on Scientifically
How to Avoid Getting Buried
Based Research
Under a Mountain of
Research
Back Issues
The Communication Gap
Fall 2002: All Wired Up ...Now
By Ann Kinder
What?
Building Effective Parent-
Teacher Partnerships
Spring 2002: From Congress to
the Classroom
Departments
News and Notes
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Fall 2001: Bridging the Great
Office of Educatonal Research and Improvement
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
Divide, Perspectives on Closing
CENTER (ERIC)
Faces of NCREL
0 This document has been reproduced as
the Achievement Gaps
received from the person or organization
Laine Strives for High Quality
originating it.
0 Minor changes have been made to
in Education
improve reproduction quality.
Fall 2000: Teaching Math and
By Rebecca Phillips
Science in the Real World
Points of view or opinions stated in this
document du not necessarily represent
CO
official OERI position or policy.
Schools on the Rise
Summer 2000: How Schools
c's4
Get REAL
C./)
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Learning Point: Fall 2002
Page 2 of 2
By Mary Kathleen O'Kelly
Use Data to Help Students
Evidence-Based Change
Learn
Yields Success in Ohio
Spring 2000: Professional
Partners for Success
Development and Student
Walking the Walk
Achievement
By Chris Otto
The What Works
Fall/Winter 1999: How Parent
Clearinghouse
Involvement Makes a Difference
Point of Reference
Spring/Summer 1999: How
Need Research? Ask Us
Reading Engages Children
By Arlene Hough
Winter 1999: Taking an
Electronic Field Trip to Africa
(Educational Technology)
[email protected]
Copyright © North Central Regional Educational Laboratory.
All rights reserved.
Disclaimer and copyright information.
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Learning Point: Spring 2003
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NCREL North Central Regional Eouatlonat Laboratory
NCREL's Learning Point (Spring 2003)
Contents I Next
Wake-Up Call
Facing the Challenge to Use Scientifically Based
Research in Schools
By Sheryl Poggi
Educational Consultant
Every day we expect people to base their practices on evidence that
demonstrates proven resultsdoctors diagnosing patients, lawyers
advising clients, and educators teaching our children. In fact, the
U.S. Congress that passed the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
believes so strongly in the use of scientifically based research that it
is referenced over 100 times within the pages of the legislationin
every section and on every topic.
The focus on improving teacher effectiveness and raising student
achievement through the use of scientifically based research (SBR)
is fundamental to the successful implementation of the No Child Left
Behind (NCLB) Act. The law requires knowledge and application of
scientifically based research in the curricular areas of reading,
mathematics and science, instructional methods and strategies,
parent involvement, professional development, extended learning,
language instruction, reduction of violence and illegal drug use, and
gifted education.
This requirement places quality research in high demand and
presents challenging opportunities for educators. How will educators
know what programs and practices are based on scientific
research? How will they integrate SBR into daily practice? How will
SBR change teaching and learning? How will educators make
decisions about SBR as it relates to their specific data-based
needs?
The American Institutes for Research (2002) developed a useful
framework to help teachers determine if a program or practice is
based on scientific research. The authors suggest that teachers look
at the evidence against two standardsa "gold standard"of SBR
AVAILABLE
BEST COPY
and, in the case of limited research, a "silver standard" of working
toward SBR. The following three areas form the criteria of the
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Learning Point: Spring 2003
framework:
Theoretical base of the program or practice. Does the
program or practice have specific goals, a clear explanation of
how it works in practice, and a description of implementation
activities?
Evidence of effects. Does each teaching and school
instructional practice provide multiple, high-quality studies that
look at the impact on students and demonstrate that the
practice improves student achievement?
Implementation and replicability. Does the practice or
program identify a number of schools that have successfully
used and fully implemented the practice or program with the
type of students your school serves? (American Institutes for
Research, 2002)
The Institutes' work (U.S. Department of Education, 2002) also
provides guidelines for judging the quality of a study, guidelines for
interpreting findings and judging the strength of evidence, and a
decision-making tree that helps to judge the evidence of effects.
These tools can be found in Comprehensive School Reform
Program Guidancesubmitted to the U.S. Department of Education
in April 2002
(www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/compreform/guidance2002.pdf).
Basis for SBR Practices and Programs
Before school staff members can determine which SBR practices or
programs should be implemented, they must first collect and
analyze data. Collecting and analyzing data is Part of most school
improvement planning efforts, and it generally uses observations,
surveys, interviews, and archival records to obtain information in the
following areas:
Standards and curriculum, particularly in reading,
mathematics, and science.
Achievement (i.e., state, district, school and classroom, data to
determine and monitor student achievement).
Teacher quality (i.e., content expertise in and application of
SBR reading, mathematics, and instructional strategies).
Professional development (e.g., mentoring, induction, and
continuing professional development).
Learning environment (e.g., climate, school safety, classroom
management, health, and nutrition).
Once data has been collected, it must be analyzed to look for
trends, plausible explanations, clusters of information that fit
together, meanings, and implications for action. The goals and
activities in the school improvement plan should be developed from
the data analysis and based on scientifically based practices and
programs.
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Learning Point: Spring 2003
Being a Good Consumer of SBR
Using a thorough data-collection and analysis strategy can ensure
that educators are good consumers of SBR programs and practices.
Often educators make decisions about a program or practice based
on external pressures, perceptions or biases of individuals, or the
need to find a quick remedy without basing it on their school data
and information. Being a good consumer of SBR practices and
programs requires the school staff to do the following:
Determine the relationship to the data. Does the program or
practice identified match the identified need? Will the desired
result be achieved? For example, if the data reveals that
fluency is an area for reading improvement, yet sustained
silent reading is the practice adopted by the school, will
reading fluency improve?
Assess the return on investment. Does the cost of the
program or practice yield improvement in the area(s) identified
by the data? For example, if a program is purchased to
improve reading, it costs $150,000 and serves 10 students
each semester ($15,000 per student), yet the data identifies
50 students who could benefit from the program, is that a good
return on investment, or is there another SBR program that
would serve more students at less cost?
Determine the breadth of impact. Does the program or
practice serve a sufficient number of the targeted students?
For example, if a reading program is adopted that serves small
numbers of first graders, yet the data reveals that 75 percent
of first-grade students are low in reading, will the number of
students served be sufficient?
Assess immediate impact versus long-term results. How
long will it take to see results from the program or practice? Is
the anticipated time for improvement sufficient to make
adequate yearly progress? For example, if a three-year
program is adopted by a school that is in corrective action and
begins with the first year of training for three teachers,
expands to fifteen teachers the second year, and engages the
entire staff the third year, is it likely that sufficient progress will
be made in the first year to prevent the school from being
restructured?
Judge sustainability. What are the short- and long-term
costs of the program or practice? Does the district or school
have the current and projected revenue and staff resources to
sustain the program or practice? For example, if a program or
practice is adopted that requires employment of additional
staff (versus reassigning existing staff) subsidized by a grant,
and the district or school projected financial status is poor, will
the program be able to be sustained over time once the grant
is over?
NCLB Focus on SBR
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NCLB requires educators to be good consumers of SBR in specific
areasareas that Congress believes would lead to improved
student achievement if they were fully and accurately implemented.
While much has been written on the content areas, less has been
said about curriculum and instructional methods.
NCLB dictates that schools institute and fully implement curriculum
that not only is based on state and local academic content and
achievement standards to attain proficiency in meeting state
academic achievement standards, but also incorporates SBR
strategies that strengthen the core academic program (specifically
referencing reading, mathematics, and science). Further, it is
required that programs employ research-based cognitive and
perceptual development approaches and rely on a diagnostic-
prescriptive model to improve students' learning of academic
content at the preschool, elementary, and secondary levels.
It is assumed that implementation of standards results in improved
student achievement. One of the few studies on this topic reveals a
positive correlation. An evaluation of the implementation of the
Illinois Learning Standards project, a four-year study ending in 2002,
assessed the extent to which districts were implementing learning
standards, identified factors that enhanced or inhibited
implementation, and investigated the relationship between
standards and student achievement (DeStefano & Prestine, 2002).
Not until the fourth year of the study did significant correlations
between learning-standards implementation and specific content
areas emerge.
Students attending schools with higher overall learning-standards
implementation levels scored higher in Grade 3 reading, Grade 5
mathematics, and Grade 8 mathematics. Standards have brought
clarity and focus to school improvement efforts, and research is
emerging that standards have a positive effect on learning
(DeStefano & Prestine, 2002).
The use of effective methods and instructional strategies that are
based on SBR that strengthens the core academic program of the
school are yet another of the areas identified in NCLB. Researchers
at the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning have
identified nine instructional strategies that are most likely to improve
student achievement across all content areas and across all grade
levels, including: identifying similarities and differences,
summarizing and note taking, and representing knowledge. These
strategies are explained in A Handbook for Classroom Instruction
That Works (Marzano, Norford, Paynter, Pickering, & Gaddy, 2001).
Ten years ago, there was little evidence that SBR existed in
education. However, more recent research about what works has
emerged to provide direction and guidance for educators. In fact,
the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences
has established the What Works Clearinghouse to provide
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Learning Point: Spring 2003
educators with a central source of evidence about what actually
works in education. (For more information on the What Works
Clearinghouse, see "Partners for Success"
Through implementation of SBR practices and programs, educators
will have greater confidence that what they are doing in the
classroom will have the greatest likelihood of improving student
performance. Part of the challenge will be to accept this emerging
research and be prepared to change policies and practices to reflect
it. Educators must examine what is taught, when it is taught, and
how it is taught. Changing individual educator practices may present
an even greater challenge than identifying scientifically based
research.
10 Ways Educators Can Integrate SBR
Into Practice
Learn the definition of SBR. (For the complete definition
1.
of scientifically based research as it appears in NCLB, see
Digging Out.)
2. Compare the definition of SBR to current programs and
practices.
3. Consider abandoning any program or practice that
doesn't meet SBR standards.
4. Collect and analyze data to identify specific needs of the
students in the school.
5. Target efforts to find SBR that matches those needs.
6. Be a good consumer of SBR.
7. Know what the research says. Don't be swayed by glitzy
packages and presentations.
8. Examine resources that can support SBR (e.g.,
reassignment of staff, reallocation of funds).
Follow a plan; be sure the SBR practice selected is
9.
getting the desired result.
10. Collect formative and summative data on the practice.
References
American Institutes for Research. (2002). Evidence of effects on
student achievement. Unpublished manuscript, U.S. Department of
Education.
DeStefano, L., & Prestine, N. (2002). Evaluation of the
implementation of Illinois Learning Standards: Year four report.
Springfield, IL: Illinois State Board of Education. Retrieved April 24,
2003, from http://www.isbe.net/board/meetings/
sept02meeting/ilssumrecom.pdf
Marzano, R. J., Norford, J. S., Paynter, D. E., Pickering, D. J., &
Gaddy, B. B. (2001). A handbook for classroom instruction that
works. Alexandria,VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
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Development.
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Pub. L. No. 107-110, 115 Stat.
1425 (2002). Retrieved April 24, 2003, from
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/ESEA02/
U.S. Department of Education. (2002). Comprehensive School
Reform program guidance Washington, DC: Office of Elementary
and Secondary Education. Retrieved April 24, 2003, from
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/compreform/guidance2002.pdf
Contents I Next
Back to Top
[email protected]
Copyright @ North Central Regional Educational Laboratory.
All rights reserved.
Disclaimer and copyright information.
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Learning Point: Spring 2003
NCREL
North Contra! Re lonal Ed Ceti nal Laber atory,
,
A
NCREL's Learning Point (Spring 2003)
Contents I Previous I Next
Digging Out
How to Avoid Getting Buried Under a Mountain of
Research
By Danielle Carnahan and Michele Fitzpatrick
Reprinted with permission of the National Staff Development
Council. Originally appeared in JSD, Spring 2003 (Vol. 24, No. 2)
as "Don't Get Buried Under a Mountain of Research."
Consider this scenario: It is school improvement planning time
again. While preparing a professional development plan based on
literacy, you begin an intense search for articles and information that
you can use to align this plan with both your state and national
goals. A priority in this search is material that will meet the Reading
First stipulations of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the $900
million program aimed at ensuring that the nation's children are
proficient readers by the end of third grade. As you begin digging
into the pile of articles you have accumulated, the sheer volume of
information seems overwhelming. Where do you start?
Strategies to find the information you need
Becoming a sophisticated consumer of research on literacy is a
continuing process, not a one-time accomplishment. It beginsas
does any journey into new territorywith adjustments and attempts
to comprehend new information that may seem a foreign language.
Then it requires verbalizing what you don't know, asking questions.
Finally, it requires a keen sense of inquiry,.sniffing out the best
sources of information to address those questions.
Here are some practical tips for your journey of applying the right
type of research to translating research into classroom practice:
1. Savvy readers comprehend research language.
EST COPY AVMLABLE
First, learn the core definition of scientifically based research,
which appears in the No Child Left Behind (2002) legislation,
under Reading First (Title I, Part B, Subpart 1, Section 1208):
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