Evidence-Based School Improvement in ESSA

School districts are paying more attention to evidence of effectiveness when deciding on strategies to improve low-performing schools, as required by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). But several districts also report difficulties in accessing and understanding academic research or finding evidence-based strategies suited to their unique needs, according to a new report by the Center on Education Policy (CEP) at The George Washington University.
“State and district leaders are starting to understand the many factors that impact evidence-based school improvement,” said Maria Ferguson, CEP’s executive director. “Evidence alone is not enough. Context matters, so school improvement strategies need to be appropriately aligned to local needs and goals.”
The CEP report, A Stronger Future for Evidence-Based School Improvement in ESSA, summarizes findings about implementation of ESSA’s requirement that school improvement strategies be backed up by evidence, and provides recommendations for actions by key stakeholders. These findings and recommendations are drawn from CEP’s convening of a diverse group of educators, researchers and other experts and on earlier interviews with leaders in seven states and five school districts.
The report finds that both for-profit and nonprofit vendors play a major role in districts’ selection and implementation of school improvement strategies. While this is not a new trend, some states and districts are either limiting or strongly encouraging school leaders to select interventions from approved vendor lists. Larger vendors of packaged programs often predominate these lists because they are better able to provide the research required to meet ESSA’s evidence requirements.
The report also highlights importance of context in selecting, implementing and monitoring evidence-based school improvement strategies. “What works in one district or school may not work in another—contextual factors affect both implementation and results,” said Ferguson.
Experts participating in CEP’s research suggested that districts and schools monitor the implementation of school improvement strategies and be given the flexibility to adapt to fit the needs of their students. As part of this process, educators need research that focuses not only on the results of a school improvement strategy, but also studies implementation as it unfolds.