The ongoing reading crisis in the United States necessitates a shift toward instructional practices that are firmly grounded in empirical research. This manuscript critiques the use of Alphabetic Phonics, not only for its reliance on multisensory techniques but also for its incorporation of instructional features that contradict the principles of…

School and district leaders make annual decisions about investing their budgets in a multitude of educational programs. Policy directives set expectations for investing in programs that show evidence of improving student outcomes. However, evaluating many simultaneously-implemented programs under typical school operating conditions is challenging.…

The translation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) to improve students' social, emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes into authentic school settings has posed significant challenges for both researchers and practitioners. Among the many barriers to the adoption and use of EBPs are their associated costs. This study presents a framework for…

While finding interventions with proven effectiveness has become easier through resources like the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), identifying what works for diverse student populations can still be challenging. Knowing the context, specifically, sample demographics for research, can help bridge this gap. In a recent scan of studies that met WWC…

Purpose: Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to a type of algorithms or computerized systems that resemble human mental processes of decision-making. This position paper looks beyond the sensational hyperbole of AI in teaching and learning. Instead, this paper aims to explore the role of AI in educational leadership. Design/methodology/approach:…

Educators struggle to select evidence-based practices (EBPs) for autistic students, which is an important skill to develop for special educators in training (SETs). To examine how these SETs learn and begin to make decisions about instructional practices for autistic students to attain their goals, we interviewed and surveyed 11 SETs before and…

Background: We have previously presented two educational interventions aimed to diminish causal illusions and promote critical thinking. In both cases, these interventions reduced causal illusions developed in response to active contingency learning tasks, in which participants were able to decide whether to introduce the potential cause in each…

This chapter explores how the Wisconsin Technical College System Student Success Center and the Success Center for Ohio Community Colleges provided support that encouraged data-informed decision-making among 2-year college stakeholders. A case study for each Center is presented to illustrate data-related strategies and lessons learned. The…

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may also have undiagnosed developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Prevalence rates of the ADHD/DCD comorbidity are estimated between 30% and 50%. Given the significant impact these disorders have on a child's occupational performance, lack of detection of DCD is of concern.…

Background: In public health emergencies, evidence, intervention, decisions and translation proceed simultaneously, in greatly compressed timeframes, with knowledge and advice constantly in flux. Idealised approaches to evidence-based policy and practice are ill equipped to deal with the uncertainties arising in evolving situations of need. Key…

Although the field of school psychology has made progress toward the use of tests and assessment practices with empirical support over the past 20 years, many school psychology practitioners still engage in what can be described as low-value value assessment practices that lack compelling scientific support potentially taking time and resources…

Since at least the 1930s, school counselors have used data to inform school counseling programming. However, the evolving complexity of school counselors' identity calls for an updated understanding of the use of data. We offer an expanded definition of data-based decision making that reflects the purpose of using data in educational settings and…

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a useful framework designed to address diverse needs of students and has great potential for twice-exceptional (2e) students, or gifted students with disabilities. By integrating academic, behavioral, social-emotional, and collaborative components, MTSS provides targeted interventions through its tiered…

Background: Brokers, intermediaries, and boundary spanners (BIBS) bridge research and policy or practice, and can elevate the role of evidence in decision making. However, there is limited integration of the literature across different sectors to understand the strategies that BIBS use, the skills needed to carry out these strategies, and the…

The idea of data-based decision-making (DBDM) at the classroom level is that teachers use assessment data to adapt their instruction to students' individual needs and thus improve students' learning progress. In this study, we first investigate this theoretically assumed DBDM process, and second, we evaluate the effectiveness of teacher support on…