Evidence-Based Practices

CELL works to find programs, models and practices that have the best evidence and probability for success in schools. To accomplish this, CELL researches and reviews evidence-based practices—those practices that have been clearly conceptualized, well defined and are supported by empirical research documenting their effectiveness. In many schools, educators are doing important work with "home-grown" interventions. While lack of empirical research data does not invalidate these practices alone, they are not evidence-based, and there is no way to predict whether they will be successful in other settings. Therefore, CELL researches the strategies and models with supporting evidence to significantly improve schools.

Principles
CELL is guided by a set of principles about evidence-based practices that promote school reform:

• Student achievement is the primary outcome that should determine the effectiveness of a practice.
• To determine if an intervention is evidence-based, CELL uses the following classifications for reviews:
• Research-proven practices - practices supported by randomized field trials including random selection/assignment and control groups that have been carefully implemented, monitored and evaluated to demonstrate effectiveness of a model or practice on student achievement.
• Evidence-based practices - practices supported by implementation studies that may lack randomization and/or control groups, but have been carefully implemented, monitored and evaluated to demonstrate effectiveness of a model or practice on student achievement.
• Promising or emerging practices - practices lacking evidence of improvement on student performance that have been in place a short time (less than five years). Careful implementation, monitoring and evaluation to demonstrate effectiveness on an intermediate step leading to increased student performance (attendance, student retention, engagement, etc.) must have occurred.
• Expert judgment - some of the questions generated cannot be answered currently with good research. Therefore, these questions will be answered with a statement that no empirical evidence exists, but an expert judgment for guidance may be issued if all members of the review team agree.
• Implementing evidence-based practices should incorporate all elements and must be carefully monitored and evaluated.  Selecting individual elements of a program as if it were an alla carte menu is not appropriate, and those that do so should not expect the same results as the developer.

 

CELL upcoming events

June 10, 2008
New Tech Leadership Meeting

September 11, 2008
Indiana New Tech High School Network Meeting

September 18, 2008
Indiana Early College High School Network Meeting

For more events...
 

CELL latest news

CELL appoints interim executive director

Access resources from the 2007 Indiana's Future conference to enhance your work.

Subscribe to our mailing list for frequent updates