The Institute of Education Sciences
(IES) within the U.S. Department of Education is proposing data
collection activity as part of the What Works Clearinghouse
Feedback Task. The task and its associated efforts are being
undertaken by the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of
Education Sciences (IES), and is being conducted by Mathematica
Policy Research. The intended purpose of the Department of
Education (ED), Institute of Education Sciences (IES) WWC feedback
task is to collect feedback from users on the relevance,
timeliness, quality, and ease of use of the products associated
with the What Works Clearinghouse website. The results of the data
collection will be used to inform improvements in ED program
products and services for its customers. The WWC provides
educators, policymakers, and the public with a central and trusted
source of scientific evidence of what works in education. The WWC
aims to make findings from education research easy and accessible
through its searchable online repository of intervention reports,
single study reviews, and practice guides. There are thousands of
empirical studies that claim to identify effective instructional
approaches, many using complicated research methods and statistical
analyses. This research often yields conflicting results, leaving
educators wondering which approach to take. Given the large volume
of education research and significant variation in quality,
principals and other educators need help identifying reliable
research and interpreting findings. Using systematic review
processes and evidence standards, the WWC reviews all the research
on a topic to identify the most rigorous studies and synthesize the
findings from high-quality education research. The WWC has
developed three new products that focus on utilizing the WWC and
the WWC resources when making key decisions in education. First,
the WWC will produce and is developing several videos that describe
the purpose of the WWC or how to understand specific materials on
the website. For example, the WWC has already released a video that
addresses how to select a mathematics curriculum. The WWC also
developed practice guide summaries which consolidate the
information from practice guides into an 8–10 page summary that
presents expert recommendations from the field, along with tips on
implementing the recommendations. The WWC has already released two
of these summaries – Teaching Math to Young Children and Teaching
Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers. Finally,
topical blasts consolidate WWC content relevant to a specific
education topic. E-mails direct users to a dedicated landing page
containing links to the relevant content. Findings from the case
studies of these topics will be used to improve these and other WWC
products going forward. The WWC feedback task will include the
following data collection methods: focus groups with WWC users,
user feedback web surveys, and data analytics.
US Code:
50
USC 171(b) Name of Law: Education Sciences Research Act of
2002
There is an increase of hours
(program change) due to the number of responses have increased from
the previous collection, mainly due the web survey, and the
addition of new formative feedback instruments.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
IES Response to Public Comment from 30-day notice.docx
What Works Clearinghouse Formative Feedback