For Practitioners and Parents
Q: How do I assess the quality of an intervention?
A: The WWC assesses research on particular interventions, not the interventions themselves, and synthesizes research findings. Each WWC topic review has a summary table that will help you determine the strength of evidence on a particular intervention.
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Q: What do the icons in the topic review summary table mean?
A: The icons in the topic review summary charts provide a quick reference for WWC users to identify which interventions have the strongest level of evidence of effectiveness:
 | Positive Effects: strong evidence of a positive effect with no overriding contrary evidence. | |  | No Discernible Effects: no affirmative evidence of effects. | |
 | Potentially Positive Effects: evidence of a positive effect with no overriding contrary evidence. | |  | Potentially Negative Effects: evidence of a negative effect with no overriding contrary evidence. | |
 | Mixed Effects: evidence of inconsistent effects. | |  | Negative Effects: strong evidence of a negative effect with no overriding contrary evidence. | |
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Q: Does the WWC tell me which interventions are most appropriate for my district?
A: Educators and policymakers should consider many factors in determining whether to implement an intervention. The strength of evidence surrounding the intervention is one factor, but consideration of other factors (e.g., target population, cost, feasibility) is also necessary. Users should review the original studies to see how the samples compare to their own target population.
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Q: Should schools or districts choose interventions that the WWC has reviewed?
A: Educators must consider other factors besides the WWC review when choosing interventions. The WWC assesses evidence on the effectiveness of educational interventions. It does not endorse interventions. A WWC rating of "positive" for an intervention, for example, means there are at least two studies of the intervention that met evidence standards, and the studies found positive effects on student outcomes. In other words, there is strong evidence from rigorous research that the intervention has a positive impact on outcomes of interest. It does not mean that the WWC recommends that users should implement that intervention or encourages them to do so. Knowing the strength of evidence surrounding the intervention is a good start, but a careful understanding of other factors (e.g., target population, cost, feasibility) is also necessary. Note that for some educational interventions, there is little or no research meeting WWC evidence standards. In such cases, there is not enough rigorous evidence to support or refute claims that the intervention has an impact on the outcomes of interest.
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Q: Does the U.S. Department of Education recommend particular scientifically based programs?
A: The U.S. Department of Education (ED) does not maintain a list of programs that are scientifically based, nor does it endorse specific programs.
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Q: Where should I go for information on a topic or intervention if the WWC has not reviewed it?
A: An additional resource from IES, the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL Program, may be able to offer you further assistance. The REL program is a network of 10 laboratories that provides access to high quality, scientifically valid education research and offers technical assistance. To contact the REL in your region, please visit http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/ and look at the map provided to identify your region’s REL. Below the map, you’ll see a list of the regions with each REL’s email address and phone number. If you would like assistance in identifying the REL that serves your state, please contact WWC through the Contact Us form.
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Q: Can I suggest research studies that need to be conducted?
A: The WWC reviews existing research. It does not conduct new research studies.
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Q: How can I nominate a topic for the WWC to review?
A: If you would like to nominate a topic for review, please submit that information through the Submit Research to Review form.
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