Research and Best Practices

The Handbook is designed to guide state, district, and school Title I personnel in providing high-quality, research-based family and community engagement programs and experiences. Thirty-six experts on a range of topics contributed to the Handbook. Each chapter provides grounding in research and practical action principles for the field. A concluding chapter lists specific recommended practices for the state, district, and school. The.....

Assessment Resources

Screening for Mathematics Difficulties in K-3 Students - Second Edition
This second edition of Screening for Mathematics Difficulties in K-3 Students which was originally published in 2007 updates the document with new research in the assessment field in developing valid and reliable screening measures for early mathematics difficulties. It focuses on valid and reliable screening measures for students in kindergarten and first grade but also examines data on screening tests for second and third graders, since the goal of screening is to identify students who might struggle to learn mathematics during their initial.....
The English Language Learner KnowledgeBase
This English Language Learner KnowledgeBase website is an online database of resources supporting education professionals in the administration of programs and instruction for ELLs. Its resources are identified for four categories of users: Program Administrators, Teachers, Parent Advocates, and Educators of Migrant Students. This resource pertains to the following topics: English Language Learning Special Populations Research: Meta-analyses and Summaries Practitioner Guides PD Modules and Training Materials.....
Key Considerations When Measuring Teacher Effectiveness: A Framework for Validating Teachers’ Professional Practices
The report describes three levels of data collection to measure teacher effectiveness both with and without standardized test scores.
Find What Works

Looking for a better way to find curricula, products, and practices that meet your school or district's needs? Check out the new and improved What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) search feature, Find What Works. This powerful tool makes it easy to find out what rigorous research says about the effectiveness of more than 100 widely used education interventions. You can search for interventions by grade level, subject, delivery method, and other.....

The Complex Ecology of Response to Intervention
This document contains papers presented by the National Center on Response to Intervention at a structured poster session, “The Complex Ecology of Response to Intervention,” at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2010 Annual Meeting in Denver, CO. The topics covered include 1. information on the overall RTI framework, 2. screening and progress monitoring within RTI, 3. delivery of instructional interventions within a RTI system, 4. SLD identification and RTI, 5. implementation of RTI across states, and 6. RTI as.....
Updated Progress Monitoring Tools Chart (National Center on RTI)
The National Center on Response to Intervention announces the updated release of the Progress Monitoring Tools Chart! This chart represents the results of the third annual review of progress monitoring tools by the Center’s Technical Review Committee (TRC). The chart provides ratings on the technical adequacy of progress monitoring tools used within an RTI context. The tools were rated against standards of general outcome measures, or mastery measures. Additional information on how to implement the tools can be found on the chart as well......
Progress Monitoring for Elementary Mathematics (COI)
This PowerPoint presentation from the November 2006 Math Summit: Providing Evidence-Based Practices and Implications of NCTM Focal Points provides an overview of progress monitoring systems that can be used to track student growth in elementary mathematics.
Pre-Algebra and Algebra Instruction and Assessments (COI)
This PowerPoint presentation from the Center on Instruction’s November 2006 Math Summit: Providing Evidence-based Practices and Implications of NCTM Focal Points describes assessments that can be used to determine students who are struggling with pre-algebra or algebra and monitor their progress towards acquiring knowledge in these areas.
A Comprehensive K-3 Reading Assessment Plan: Guidance for School Leaders (COI)
Because scientific studies have repeatedly demonstrated the value of regularly assessing reading progress, a comprehensive assessment plan is a critical element of an effective school-level plan for preventing reading difficulties. This guide from the Center on Instruction provides valuable information for school leaders. While the general principles, such as the early identification of students who are struggling in learning to read, are all based on scientific findings, the detailed recommendations for implementation derive from practical.....
Assessments to Guide Adolescent Literacy Instruction (COI)
This guide from the Center on Instruction is a companion volume to two other COI publications: Academic Literacy Instruction for Adolescents and Improving Literacy Instruction in Middle and High Schools: A Guide for Principals. It provides information about the key elements of a comprehensive assessment plan to improve literacy instruction for adolescents and provides examples of assessments and assessment systems currently in use or under development to improve literacy instruction for students in grades 4-12.
The Essential Components: Multi-Level Prevention System (Webinar)
As one in a series of webinars focused on the essential components of RTI, this month’s webinar provides information on the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention. Dr. Katie Tackett provides an overview of primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention, the types of instruction and assessments at each level, where the instruction typically occurs, and the instructional decisions that can be made based on data. Follow-up Live Online Chat Please join a live online chat focused on “The Essential Components of RTI:.....
Applying an On Track Indicator for High School Graduation: Adapting the Consortium on Chicago School Research Indicator for Five Texas Districts
This study uses a measure of the on-track or off-track status of students at the end of grade 9 as an indicator of whether students in five Texas districts would graduate from high school in four years. In all five districts, on-time graduation rates were higher for students who were on track at the end of grade 9 than for students who were off track, both for students overall and for all racial/ethnic groups.
Measuring Teacher and Leader Performance: Cross-Sector Lessons for Excellent Evaluation
With support from the Joyce Foundation, this report from Public Impact summarizes six steps derived from best practices and research of government agencies, non-profit organizations, and for-profit companies that are critical in designing high quality, effective performance measurement systems. Each step is illustrated by examples from other sectors. The report concludes by proposing sample elements of a performance measurement system for teachers that transparently show the relationship between the education system’s goals, teacher.....
National RTI " Responder Monthly Newsletter"
This link takes you to the monthly newsletter from the National RTI Center. It highlights topics of both national and statewide interest related to response to intervention practices, including resources from the USDOE website "Doing What Works." Educators can sign up to receive this newsletter through their personal email accounts.
Response to Intervention in Primary Grade Reading
Response to Intervention (RTI) in Primary Grade Reading is one of four sections within the newly added Data-Driven Improvement area on the Doing What Works website. The section is divided into four sub-sections: Universal Screening, Progress Monitoring and Differentiation, Systematic Skill Instruction, and Response to Intervention. Each sub-section contains a practice summary along with practical help in three tabs: Learn What Works (video interviews with nationally known research experts, key concepts, research evidence, and related links),.....
Data Use for Improving Learning Re-launched (Assessment & Accountability Comprehensive Center)
“An increasing body of evidence points to the link between effective data use and student learning,” said Margaret Heritage who managed the comprehensive revisions. She noted that the “Race to the Top” program goals place a high priority on better data systems that inform schools and teachers. The new site includes a data users guide plus specific examples from states, school districts, and schools of successful data use. This site also has components of formative and diagnostic assessment.
Uncharted Territory: Using Tiered Intervention to Improve High School Performance
A new report from the High School Tiered Interventions Initiative (HSTII), a collaboration among the National High School Center, the Center on Instruction, and the National Center on Response to Intervention, summarizes what HSTII has learned thus far about effective implementation of RTI in high schools. Tiered Interventions in High Schools: Using Preliminary ‘Lessons Learned’ to Guide Ongoing Discussion, provides a brief description of the RTI framework and the essential components of RTI, illustrates how the essential components of.....
IDEA Partnership Collection (K-12 Special Education resource)
A Partnership Collection, a website developed by the IDEA Partnership, is the result of the collaborative work of 65 partner organization representatives, five technical assistance providers, and a number of state and local organizations and agencies representing a range of roles at all levels of the education system and geographic locations across the country. The Collection provides access to a comprehensive database of materials and resources to assist in the understanding of RTI processes and best practices for its implementation on all.....