By Christina Fernandez, Grants Development Consultant (K-12 Education)
Evidence-based interventions are key to making informed decisions when implementing new programming in schools. These strategies are critical for effectively improving student outcomes and are required for securing state and federal grants. Evidence requirements set by Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) require educators to search for high-quality research and intervention studies to ensure that states, districts, and schools identify programs, practices, and products that can effectively improve student success. ESSA uses a tiered system approach to classify interventions based on the strength of evidence supporting their impact—ranging from strong to promising to demonstrate a rationale. One way to find this level of information is through the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), established by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).
The WWC is an online database that reviews and summarizes education research to identify previously implemented, well-designed interventions so educators can replicate and expand on these evidence-based practices. It also provides resources and tools on topics such as academics, behavior, and postsecondary readiness.
This article will explore what evidence-based practices are, the types of resources available on the WWC, and tips on determining which practice is best suited for your grant-fundable project.
What are Evidence-based Practices?
Evidence-based practices refer to programs, strategies, or interventions that have been rigorously tested and proven to effectively improve student achievement. These practices are supported by systematic research, often conducted through experimental or quasi-experimental studies, to validate their effectiveness in real-world settings. In the educational landscape, they provide a reliable framework for addressing student needs, improving teaching methods, and fostering academic success.
There are 4 main resources available on the WWC that can help determine which interventions are backed by high-quality research:
- Practice Guides- Practice guides include actionable recommendations, examples, and potential roadblocks as well as solutions to specific challenges that educators may face in their classrooms or schools. These guides include 3-5 evidence-based recommendations that have little to no cost associated with them so they can be implemented by teachers or faculty on their own.
- Intervention reports- Intervention reports focus on one specific intervention and provide a detailed summary and description, information on how and where it has been implemented, and how effective it is at improving student outcomes. These reports are intended to help districts make informed decisions on specific products or curricula that educators are purchasing by providing systematic reviews of the literature detailing how to best use these products, while also including cost analysis. Knowing the cost of implementation is important to determining if an intervention is accessible and feasible.
- Individual study reviews- These are referred to as the “ingredients” that go into the practice guides and intervention reports. These are most useful for interventions that have been reviewed by the WWC but don’t have a full intervention report associated with them. They can also be useful when looking for additional information about a specific setting (urban rural) or student demographic.
- Data from study reviews- This data is extracted from the above resources and provides details about the design, sample size, topic areas, and evidence tiers of an individual study that was reviewed. The WWC provides this data so that educators and other users can conduct their own research to add to the field.
Each recommendation found in any of these resources will be assigned a tiered level of evidence. Each level indicates how confident the WWC study review panel is that the recommendation will improve student outcomes. Understanding the different resources and evidence tiers available will be important when trying to select an intervention that aligns with your project ideas and grant requirements.
--Strong evidence, the highest tier, needs to be based on at least 1 well-designed, well-implemented experimental study demonstrating a statistically significant and positive effect of a project component on a relevant outcome. ED regulations require this study to meet What Works Clearinghouse evidence standards without reservations when assessed using WWC Handbook. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/essa
Depending on the grant program, it may explicitly require your project to meet a specific evidence level to apply. For example, the Education Innovation and Research (EIR) - Early Phase grant program, requires that projects must demonstrate a rationale, meaning that a key component of the project is informed by research and suggests that it will improve student outcomes. However, in the EIR- Expansion Phase Program, it is required that the project be supported by strong evidence meaning that there must be evidence from one or more well-designed and well-implemented experimental studies proving significantly positive outcomes. If a specific evidence level is not required in order to apply to a grant program, it may still apply to the allowable activities of a program or may be called out as a competitive priority.
Tips on discussing evidence-based practices in a grant application
When applying for large state or federal grants that require evidence-based practices, it is important to understand your student population, their needs, and the root cause of the challenge you are trying to address. This will help determine what intervention will be best for your students. You can begin by identifying your student population (e.g. English language learners, students with disabilities, or students at risk of failure) and the skills or behaviors that you would like to address (e.g. literacy, problem-solving, or behaviors) among that demographic. You will also need to determine what type of practice or program you want to implement (e.g. personalized learning, hands-on learning, or social and emotional learning) that will help you achieve your desired outcome (e.g. improved reading comprehension among English language learners through personalized learning). The closer you can align these needs to an intervention, the easier it will be to determine which evidence-practice will be best for your grant project.
To help determine which evidence-based practice might be best for your project, consider asking yourself the following questions:
- Does the program, strategy, or intervention result in the outcome I am interested in?
- Was the research conducted in a setting that is similar to mine?
- Did the research study observe the same student population that I am trying to address?
- How much did it cost to implement the intervention, and can I sustain it over time with or without a grant?
- What kind of training or additional resources were needed to successfully implement this practice?
- What limitations or challenges were raised in this study? Am I willing to address these in my project?
It is important to note that not all education interventions have an evidence-based practice associated with them. Sometimes, little or no research exists that meets WWC design standards, which means that the WWC cannot rate the effectiveness of the intervention. In this case, it is important to find practices that align closest with your goals.
Conclusion
Evidence-based practices are just the starting point of a successful grant application. The creative and thoughtful implementation of these ideas is what will get you the award. It’s important to remember that Grantmakers aren’t just looking to fund projects that replicate what’s already done. Instead, they’re looking for innovative solutions that build upon these practices. By starting with evidence-based practices, applicants are demonstrating their commitment to making informed decisions based on data vs personal preference. This reassures grant funders that their dollars are going to projects with the highest potential of improving student outcomes.