Across the nation, states are working to implement the evidence standards for education interventions outlined by the Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA. The 10 national Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs) are building capacity of state education agencies (SEAs) and local education agencies (LEAs) to understand 1) what constitutes an evidence-based practice and 2) how to identify education interventions that meet the evidence standards.
REL West is coordinating efforts across all of the RELs to contribute to the national body of work intended to demystify the ESSA evidence standards and provide tools for applying them. To date, the following resources have been released (click the titles for more information):
Video: Understanding the ESSA Tiers of Evidence (REL Midwest)
This video explains the four tiers of evidence and how schools and districts can use them to rate an intervention’s potential effectiveness on improving student outcomes.
Blog: Demystifying ESSA Tiers of Evidence and the Selection of Evidence-Based Practices (REL Southwest)
This REL Southwest blog post explains how a recent workshop demystified the provisions of ESSA regarding evidence-based practices. It showcases how a new rubric implemented by the Oklahoma State Department of Education is prioritizing the use of “strong,” “moderate,” or “promising” evidence in school improvement plans.
Aligning Evidence-Based Clearinghouses with the ESSA Tiers of Evidence (REL Midwest)
This crosswalk document allows practitioners and policymakers to determine the ESSA tier of evidence achieved by an intervention if it meets a particular research clearinghouse’s evidence standard.
Evidence-Based Improvement Guide (REL West)
This improvement guide provides a set of tools to support evidence-based decision making under ESSA.
Video: Defining Your Approach to Implementing ESSA Evidence Standards (REL West)
This interactive REL West video is designed to help SEAs and their partners define their specific approach to supporting districts as they identify and implement evidence-based practices. Follow along with the facilitator guide.
New Blog: Evidence in Education is All the Buzz in the Beehive State (REL West)
Learn about a series of workshops in Utah designed to help local education entities implement evidence-based interventions under ESSA.
Blog and Audio Interview: How ESSA Is Asking Education Decisionmakers to Think Differently (REL West)
Learn about how leaders in Arizona are using the evidence levels defined by ESSA as a framework for guiding local education agencies in their selection of literacy programs.
