Evaluations were initially employed to measure the effectiveness of programs because evaluators have a unique ability to influence innovative decision-making. Innovation requires not only the generation of credible evidence, but knowledge brokering for utilization by pertinent stakeholders. Federal evaluations can play an integral role in…

Grounded in the renewed focus on research on evaluation (Coryn, Noakes, Westine, & Schröter, 2011; Mark, 2007; Peck, Kim, & Lucio, 2012), which is motivated, in part, by a desire for evidence-informed practice, this paper calls attention to the need to discern larger patterns across studies. It argues that without clarity and consistency…

Research-practice partnerships have become increasingly popular for promoting evidence use, and this is similar to how evaluators partner with practitioners. Researchers and evaluators working in partnership with practitioners participated in a survey measuring evidence use, research rigor and relevance, and interpersonal factors (e.g.,…

Whilst beneficial, the regular use of evidence to inform teaching practice (evidence informed practice -- EIP) has proven difficult to achieve. To shed new light, we pose the question: 'if EIP is rational behavior, why aren't all teachers engaged in it?' Correspondingly, we examine whether the EIP beliefs and perspectives of teachers, align with…

This paper studies, using quantitative and qualitative data, the effectivity of a professional development approach in which a national summative assessment is used formatively to stimulate 19 teacher teams in Dutch secondary education to improve their data use for instruction and learning. The approach is based on conceptual similarities between…

In education policy and reform circles across the U.S., school turnaround initiatives aimed at improving the lowest performing schools have become a prevalent school improvement approach. However, only a limited number of studies have sought to understand the ways that turnaround strategies are being put into practice in schools. In this case…

In this paper, we summarize two major components of a research project, Model of Research-based Education (MORE) for Teachers, to build and evaluate a program for rigorous and research-based science teacher preparation at the elementary level. We briefly discuss the research upon which the program is built and two major changes we made in response…

In an effort to better align item development to goals of assessing higher-order tasks and decision making, complex decision trees were developed to follow clinical reasoning scripts and used as models on which multiple-choice questions could be built. This approach is compatible with best-practice assessment frameworks like Evidence Centered…

Disparities in academic science performance remain for diverse learners, including students with learning disabilities and English learners. Educational technology offers the potential to support diverse learners by taking into account their specific needs and unique strengths. This paper reports on third-year results of a 3-year randomized…

This mixed-method study examined the impact of an online formative assessment tool on the language and early literacy skills development of 204 3-4-year-old children enrolled in Head Start. Twenty-four classroom and children participated in a two-group randomized control trial, in which classrooms in the treatment condition implemented weekly…

Given education policy demands, leadership programs wrestle with questions about how to prepare practicing professionals, who are aspiring leaders, for the consequential use of data. From problem identification to implementation, current leadership preparation must build a culture where research processes are accessible, interpretable, and…

Even with recent advancements, education inequities in science remain for students with learning disabilities (SWLDs) and English learners (ELs), as evidenced through poor national assessment performance. When leveraged appropriately, educational technology provides a pathway for disadvantaged students to receive equal learning access. Project…