How can I find and use evidence syntheses?
If you find yourself at this page, you might be wondering where you can find summarized evidence on a program or practice that your school or district is considering. We’re glad you’ve found us at the HEDCO Institute. Check back frequently, as we summarize the evidence for different programs and practices several times each year and make those results freely available for you to read here.
At the HEDCO Institute, we work hard to ensure our products are useful for teachers, school leaders, and other school staff. You can also read about evidence syntheses we are currently conducting here.
Where can I learn about evidence syntheses and find evidence synthesis reports?
There is a lot that goes into conducting evidence syntheses. At the HEDCO Institute, we value being transparent about all the steps and stages of our evidence synthesis process. You can read more about our process here.
If you are curious about the research synthesis process and would like to learn more, we have provided some brief videos below that contain helpful information about the nuts and bolts of the process.
The Steps of a Systematic Review [4 minutes] by the Center for Evidence Synthesis in Health, Brown University School of Public Health
Tour of the What Works Clearinghouse Website where you can find more evidence about programs and practices for education [5 minutes] by the Institute of Education Sciences
An Overview of the What Works Clearinghouse Tool to help you find the evidence you are seeking [ 5 minutes] by the Institute of Education Sciences
Where can I find evidence synthesis resources on a program or topic my school or district is interested in?
If you are seeking information about a program or practice, there are evidence “clearinghouses” or registries of effective programs you can access to find the information you are seeking. An evidence clearinghouse is a database of evidence-based programs or practices. They often have a specific focus, classify programs by the quality of evidence, and describe the characteristics of the studies included in the evidence so you know if the results might be relevant for your specific student or school population.
Below we have provided links to evidence clearinghouses that are relevant for school leaders and staff. These clearinghouses pertain to student populations or programs and practices that can be delivered, at least in part, at schools or in partnership with schools.