This article reviews the origins and use of the terms quasi-experiment and natural experiment. It demonstrates how the terms conflate whether variation in the independent variable of interest falls short of random with whether researchers find, rather than intervene to create, that variation. Using the lens of assignment--the process driving…

Implementation of evidence-based practices for autistic students must be informed by robust research literature. Randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) are often considered a "gold standard" methodology for determining the effectiveness of interventions. However, the complex nature of schools presents challenges for implementing successful…

As reporting of effect sizes in evaluation studies has proliferated, researchers and consumers of research need tools for interpreting or benchmarking the magnitude of those effect sizes that are relevant to the intervention, target population, and outcome measure being considered. Similarly, researchers planning education studies with social and…

This paper seeks to raise awareness among educational researchers and practitioners of some significant weaknesses and internal contradictions of randomised control trials (RCTs). Although critiques throughout the years from education scholars have pointed to the detrimental effects of this experimental approach on education practice and values,…

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) identifies existing research on educational interventions, assesses the quality of the research, and summarizes and disseminates the evidence from studies that meet WWC standards. The WWC aims to provide enough information so educators can use the research to make informed decisions in their settings. This…

Even when raters demonstrate agreement in the use of a measure, limited score variability or violation of often-ignored statistical assumptions can result in lower reliability estimates than intuitively expected. This article uses data drawn from two randomized controlled trials of schema therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy for the treatment…

The purpose of this paper is to present results of recent advances in power analyses to detect the moderator effects in Cluster Randomized Trials (CRTs). This paper focus on demonstration of the software PowerUp!-Moderator. This paper provides a resource for researchers seeking to design CRTs with adequate power to detect the moderator effects of…

As the number of publicly funded early childhood education (ECE) programs increases, policymakers will need empirical evidence to justify the taxpayer investment. Such justification will require a stronger understanding of the essential components of an ECE program's design, as well as solid evidence on which components, or constellations of…

The goal of this paper is to provide guidance for applied education researchers in using multi-level data to study the effects of interventions implemented at the school level. Two primary approaches are currently employed in observational studies of the effect of school-level interventions. One approach employs intact school matching: matching…

As evidence-based reform becomes increasingly important in educational policy, it is becoming essential to understand how research design might contribute to reported effect sizes in experiments evaluating educational programs. The purpose of this study was to examine how methodological features such as types of publication, sample sizes, and…

This issue of "FOCUS" discusses external validity and what rehabilitation researchers can do to help practitioners answer the question "How far can we generalize this finding-- is it applicable to other clients/patients, with different characteristics, in dissimilar settings treated by other clinicians?," which clinicians and…

This authoritative volume provides state-of-the-art practices for supporting the approximately 20% of today's K-12 students who have emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) that hinder school success. Leading experts present evidence-based approaches to screening, progress monitoring, intervention, and instruction within a multi-tiered framework.…