Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education

Topic: Low Achieving Schools

Purpose: The Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education (CDDRE) conducts research into how school districts can use data-driven reform to improve student achievement. CDDRE provides the following services to state, district, and school leadership teams through its Raising the Bar program:

• Training in and coaching on using a data-driven decision-making process for planning and achievement.
• Information on research-proven solutions to student-achievement challenges.
• Training in and coaching on instructional leadership and achievement monitoring.

Projects

CDDRE is currently conducting research with 60 school districts located in Alabama, Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. These districts were randomly assigned to immediate or delayed treatment groups. Once districts begin receiving services from CDDRE, the districts and their schools receive support in data analysis and achievement planning, selecting research-proven solutions, and monitoring achievement and instructional leadership.

Under No Child Left Behind, thousands of schools are failing to meet adequate yearly progress standards. The number of schools in difficulty has outpaced the capacity of state and district leaders to address them. State and district leaders need replicable strategies to help them ensure success on measured objectives. In response to this need, the Center aims to develop and rigorously evaluate state, district, and school-level strategies to enhance student achievement and help schools meet their performance goals.

The research questions to be answered include:

• Do districts that use the CDDRE model of data analysis and instructional review significantly improve student achievement?
• Do districts that use the CDDRE model of data analysis and instructional review, and implement a research-proven solution, significantly improve student achievement?

Key Personnel: Robert Slavin, GwenCarol Holmes

Publications:

Journal Articles

Cheung, A., and Slavin, R. (2005). Effective Reading Programs for English Language Learners and Other Language Minority Students. Bilingual Research Journal, 29 (2): 241–267.

Slavin, R. (2008). Evidence-Based Reform in Education: What Will It Take? European Educational Research Journal, 7(1): 124–128.

Slavin, R. (2008). Evidence-Based Reform in Education: Which Evidence Matters? Educational Researcher, 37 (1): 47–50.

Slavin, R. (2008). What Works? Issues in Synthesizing Education Program Evaluations. Educational Researcher, 37 (1): 5–14.

Slavin, R. (2006). Research and Effectiveness: A ‘10 Percent Solution' That Can Make Evidence-Based Reform a Reality. Education Week.

Slavin, R. (2005). Evidence-Based Reform in Education: Promise and Pitfalls. Mid-Western Educational Researcher, 18 (1): 8–13.

Slavin, R., Chamberlain, A., and Daniels, C. (2007). Preventing Reading Failure. Educational Leadership, 65(2): 22–27.

Slavin, R., and Cheung, A. (2005). A Synthesis of Research on Language of Reading Instruction for English Language Learners. Review of Educational Research, 75 (2): 247–284.

Slavin, R., Cheung, A., Groff, C., and Lake, C. (2008). Effective Reading Programs for Middle and High Schools: a Best Evidence Synthesis. Reading Research Quarterly, 43 (3): 290–322.

Slavin, R., and Lake, C. (2008). Effective Programs in Elementary Mathematics; A Best-Evidence Synthesis. Review of Educational Research, 78 (3): 427–515.

Slavin, R., Lake, C., and Groff, C. (2009). Effective Programs in Middle and High School Mathematics. Review of Educational Research, 79 (2), 839–911.

Books

Slavin, R., Lake, C., Chambers, B., Cheung, C., and Davis, S. (2009). Effective Beginning Reading Programs: A Best-Evidence Synthesis. Baltimore, MD: Center for Research and Reform in Education, Johns Hopkins University.

Slavin, R., Lake, C., Cheung, A., and Davis, S. (2008). Beyond the Basics: Effective Reading Programs for the Upper Elementary Grades. Baltimore, MD: Center for Research and Reform in Education, Johns Hopkins University.

Book Chapters

Chambers, B., Cheung, A., and Slavin, R. (2006). A Review of Research on Alternative Early Childhood Program. In Spodek, B. and Saracho, O (Eds.), Handbook of Research on the Education of Young Children (pp. 347–360). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Chambers, B., Cheung, A., and Slavin, R. (2006). Effective Preschool Programs for Children at Risk of School Failure: a Best-Evidence Synthesis. In B. Spodek (Ed.), Handbook of Research on the Education of Young Children (pp. 347–360). New York, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Center Website: http://www.cddre.org/

IES Program Contact: Dr. David Sweet
Email: David.Sweet@ed.gov
Telephone: (202) 219-1748