Evidence-Based Practice

Reading & Literacy Spotlight Spotlight on the Science of Reading in 2022
This Spotlight will help you understand new state laws on evidence-based instruction, the difficulties of teaching reading, and more.
March 9, 2022
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Reading & Literacy Data More States Are Making the 'Science of Reading' a Policy Priority
Four states have passed laws requiring evidence-based instruction, and at least 18 are directing COVID relief funds to early reading.
Sarah Schwartz, October 13, 2021
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4 min read
A book becomes an open doorway
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Reading & Literacy Popular Literacy Materials Get 'Science of Reading' Overhaul. But Will Teaching Change?
Lucy Calkins and Jennifer Serravallo are among those releasing updates that move away from unproven techniques like three-cueing.
Sarah Schwartz, October 13, 2021
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18 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
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Teaching Opinion No, the Evidence Does Not Support Racial 'Affinity Spaces' in Schools
Supporters routinely assert that there’s evidence to justify affinity spaces, despite a startling lack of research actually supporting them.
Rick Hess, September 1, 2021
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5 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Budget & Finance Opinion Three Tips for Spending COVID-19 Funds in Evidence-Based Ways
If COVID-19 funds targeted for evidence-based practices are going to deliver, it's crucial to be clear on what evidence is actually helpful.
Rick Hess, July 21, 2021
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3 min read
A researcher points to charts and data
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School & District Management Opinion What Does It Mean to Call a Program 'Evidence-Based' Anyway?
States and school districts need to help educators weigh the research on programs. Too often it stops at a single positive study.
Fiona Hollands, Yuan Chang & Venita Holmes, June 9, 2021
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5 min read
The process from idea to practice in the classroom.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week and iStock/Getty Images Plus
School & District Management Opinion Why Evidence-Backed Programs Might Fall Short in Your School (And What To Do About It)
How close a program's implementation matches its plan is important, though perhaps not quite as important as you think, writes researcher Heather C. Hill.
Heather C. Hill, May 25, 2021
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5 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
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Teaching Opinion What Education Researchers Can Learn From Teachers
Four educators discuss how researchers can make sure they are not asking the "wrong questions."
Larry Ferlazzo, May 24, 2021
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14 min read
Tiny boy and girl stand on wide road in front keyhole entrance in book to narrower way
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Reading & Literacy Opinion Science of Reading Advocates Have a Messaging Problem
Invoking science isn’t all it takes to be credible, especially on a debate as charged as literacy education, writes Claude Goldenberg.
Claude Goldenberg, May 3, 2021
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5 min read
Image shows two children ages 5 to 7 years old and a teacher, an African-American woman, holding a digital tablet up, showing it to the girl sitting next to her. They are all wearing masks, back to school during the COVID-19 pandemic, trying to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
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Reading & Literacy Most States Fail to Measure Teachers' Knowledge of the 'Science of Reading,' Report Says
The majority of states don’t evaluate whether prospective teachers know how to teach reading effectively, a new analysis finds.
Sarah Schwartz, March 23, 2021
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6 min read
Teacher Preparation Teachers in These States Have to Pass a Rigorous Test on 'Science of Reading'
As the importance of good reading instruction attracts new attention, data show that only 19 states require aspiring teachers to pass a test that shows they've mastered research-based methods for teaching children to read.
Catherine Gewertz, March 3, 2020
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3 min read
Elize'a Scott, a 3rd grade student at Key Elementary School in Jackson, Miss., reads under the watchful eyes of teacher Crystal McKinnis in April 2019. Mississippi has become a national leader in requiring teachers to know research-based strategies for teaching reading. Many other states are following suit, passing a flurry of laws in the last three years.
Elize'a Scott, a 3rd grade student at Key Elementary School in Jackson, Miss., reads under the watchful eyes of teacher Crystal McKinnis in April 2019. Mississippi has become a national leader in requiring teachers to know research-based strategies for teaching reading. Many other states are following suit, passing a flurry of laws in the last three years.
AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File
Reading & Literacy States to Schools: Teach Reading the Right Way
States are passing new laws that require teachers to master reading instruction that’s solidly grounded in research.
Catherine Gewertz, February 20, 2020
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11 min read
Principal Alethea Bustillo joins a 3rd grade class with students Lindsey Lazo Argueta, at left, and Yancy Gomez-Argueta at Bruce Monroe Elementary School in Washington.
Principal Alethea Bustillo joins a 3rd grade class with students Lindsey Lazo Argueta, at left, and Yancy Gomez-Argueta at Bruce Monroe Elementary School in Washington.
Alyssa Schukar for Education Week
School & District Management 6 Districts Invested in Principals and Saw Dramatic Gains. Dozens More Will Try to Do the Same
Scores rose dramatically in school districts that focused on improving principals. Now other districts hope to replicate that success.
Denisa R. Superville, February 11, 2020
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7 min read
Curriculum Tennessee Seeks New Teacher, Principal Requirements in 'Science of Reading'
The Tennessee department of education is proposing unsually comprehensive legislation that will require all current and new K-3 teachers, and those who train them, to know evidence-based reading instruction.
Catherine Gewertz, February 3, 2020
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5 min read
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