A RESOURCE GUIDE FOR APPLYING NCLB IN HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOMS
COMPONENT: Scientifically Based Teaching Methods
DEFINITION: The No Child Left Behind Act requires that scientifically based research be applied to all programmatic components to determine their effects on student achievement. Scientifically Based Teaching Methods is the programmatic component that results from conducting scientifically based research studies to determine which teaching methods account for student achievement. For high schools, this approach will provide quality information for identifying and using teaching methods that produce adequate yearly progress by students on State assessments that measure challenging academic content standards.

Scientifically Based Teaching Methods are grounded in valid and reliable evidence for describing the professional skills and knowledge that elicit student achievement gains in core subject areas. Moreover, Scientifically Based Teaching Methods may be generalized to other high schools and populations. This data-driven approach differs from supporting the use of teaching methods based on weaker evidence such as tradition, untested theories, or promising practices in one-time projects.

The impact of grounding teaching methods in scientifically based research means that over time the teaching profession will build a knowledge base about teaching methods related to challenging academic and student academic achievement standards in core subject areas. This knowledge base will provide a clear vision for aligning support systems such as teacher education and certification, professional development, and technical assistance. Most importantly, it will help high school teachers and administrators make better decisions about why and how they use teaching methods to improve student achievement.
SUMMARY OF NCLB REQUIREMENTS

The No Child Left Behind Act expects high schools with Title I programs to use effective teaching methods that are supported by scientifically based research to strengthen the school’s core academic program. Furthermore, a high school in need of improvement or engaged in corrective action or restructuring is required to incorporate strategies based on scientifically based research to address the academic problems that led to its low performance status.

Specifically, the No Child Left Behind Act calls for scientifically based research that:
  1. “employs systematic, empirical methods that draw on observation or experiment;

  2. involves rigorous data analyses that are adequate to test the stated hypotheses and justify the general conclusions drawn;

  3. relies on measurements or observational methods that provide reliable and valid data across evaluators and observers, across multiple measurements and observations, and across studies by the same or different investigators;

  4. is evaluated using experimental or quasi-experimental designs in which individuals, entities, programs, or activities are assigned to different conditions and with appropriate controls to evaluate the effects of the condition of interest, with a preference for random-assignment experiments, or other designs to the extent that those designs contain within-condition or across-condition controls;

  5. ensures that experimental studies are presented in sufficient detail and clarity to allow for replication or, at a minimum, offer the opportunity to build systematically on their findings; and

  6. has been accepted by a peer-reviewed journal or approved by a panel of independent experts through a comparably rigorous, objective, and scientific review.” [Title IX, Part A, section 9101(37)]

The No Child Left Behind Act provides a mechanism for holding States, school districts, and schools accountable for improving the academic achievement of all students, including students in demographic subgroups and for transforming low-performing schools. This mechanism ensures teacher access to scientifically based teaching methods and challenging academic content to deliver a high-quality education to all students. The requirements for the Reading First Program provide a specific example how Title I funds can be used to support scientifically based teaching methods related to phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and reading comprehension.
SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION

Scientifically Based Teaching Methods is both a vision and a process to elevate the quality of information for preparing, developing, and supporting highly qualified classroom teachers. The vision supports teachers as professionals engaged in the use of data to make decisions about the methods they will use to improve student achievement. The process is rigorous and requires start-up support and ongoing professional development. Over time the process will become a standard practice in high schools and a professional habit of mind executed by teachers sharing the vision.

Getting Organized
  1. Identify scientifically based research studies about high school teaching methods for basic skills and challenging academic content standards related to core academic, career, and vocational subject areas.

  2. Identify scientifically based research studies about high school teaching methods aligned with student characteristics, especially for economically disadvantaged students, students from major racial and ethnic groups, students with disabilities, and students with limited English proficiency.

  3. Provide professional development for understanding how to interpret and use the results from scientifically based research studies related to high school teaching methods, e.g., purpose, research questions, methodology, data collection, findings, conclusions, generalizability.

  4. Develop and support a job expectation for keeping up with scientifically based research studies about high school teaching methods in the subjects delivered at the high school.

Analyzing Results

  1. Conduct face-to-face and online discussions of the results of scientifically based research studies about high school teaching methods that focus on their generalizability to a variety of high school organizational patterns.

  2. Post the results of the face-to-face and online discussions on the high school’s web site for sharing and feedback purposes thereby creating an online archive for public and professional access and comments.

Contributing Teaching Methods

  1. Create digital video episodes of teaching methods used in the high school to deliver challenging academic standards in core subject areas.

  2. Collaborate with research institutions to correlate the digital video teaching episodes with the results of State academic assessments to collect information for designing a scientifically based research study in the high school.

  3. Collaborate with research institutions to conduct fully funded scientifically based research studies about teaching methods and classroom assessments for making adequate yearly progress.

Forging a New Culture

  1. Organize a systematic approach for applying the results of relevant scientifically based research studies at the high school level.

  2. Evaluate critically and continuously the competing explanations for what was found and why in scientifically based research studies about teaching methods.

  3. Incorporate the systematic approach for applying the results of relevant scientifically based research studies into the school’s improvement processes.
SOURCES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

The Definition of Scientifically Based Research.
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/ESEA02/pg107.html#sec9101

Why Scientifically Based Research? - U.S. Department of Education
http://www.nochildleftbehind.gov/next/closing/slide033.html

What Works Clearinghouse
http://www.w-w-c.org/whatwedo/overview.html

Random Assignment in Program Evaluation and Intervention Research: Questions and Answers
http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/resources/randomqa.html