| Notes |
Despite these false starts, the evidence-based policy movement remains the best hope for genuine reform in U.S. education. The Institute for Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education, as well as NICHD, NSF, and other funders, are supporting many research and development initiatives that use rigorous randomized experiments to evaluate educational products and practices. Of equal importance, the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) is beginning to review educational programs to identify those supported by rigorous research. These changes create the possibility that educators will soon have available a broad range of programs in which they can place confidence, just as Food and Drug Administration approval gives physicians and the public confidence in medical treatments. |