Widespread Support for New 'Evidence for ESSA' Website: National Resource Ranks K-12 Reading and Math Programs According to Evidence

BALTIMORE, Feb. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Research and Reform in Education (CRRE) at Johns Hopkins University released its much anticipated website called Evidence for ESSA (www.evidenceforessa.org), a free web-based resource that provides easy access to information on programs that meet the evidence standards defined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The website is designed for education leaders at the state, district and school levels, to provide information to state chiefs, superintendents, principals, teachers, parents, and anyone else interested in using evidence to inform their conversations about what is best for students.  The website already has widespread support from membership organizations representing leaders of America's states, districts, schools, and classrooms, as well as parents and policy makers.

"Chief state school officers are always seeking ways to support educators in making decisions at the local level that will help improve their individual practice and lead to better outcomes for all students. The Evidence for ESSA website contributes to states' ability to provide practical, timely information on evidence-based practices, and it is an important tool as states continue to lead on implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)."

- Chris Minnich, Executive Director of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) 

"State and district leaders are hungry for an accessible resource that can point them to evidence-based reading and math interventions to support school improvement efforts. Evidence for ESSA is an important new tool that is already proving to be useful for our members."

- Mike Magee, Chief Executive Officer of Chiefs for Change

"The strong effort from AASA members proved to be a catalyst in making the Every Student Succeeds Act a reality. As we remain committed to working with Congress and the administration to ensure a successful transition to ESSA, it is critical for school system leaders to be acutely aware of the provisions of the legislation, which is why we applaud the Center for Research and Reform in Education for building evidenceforessa.org. Advocates for education will undoubtedly find this new online portal as a valuable resource."

- Daniel A. Domenech, Executive Director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association 

"School board officials, the people with the best understanding of their communities, consistently seek to gain additional insights to meet student needs. Evidence for ESSA can be a helpful tool school boards can access to identify programs that could improve learning outcomes."

- Thomas J. Gentzel, Executive Director and CEO of the National School Boards Association (NSBA)

"The Evidence for ESSA database will be beneficial to state board of education members as they seek high-quality programs that meet the stringent requirements of utilizing research-based products and processes for improving schools. NASBE looks forward to sharing this wonderful tool with our membership and aiding them in utilizing it to improve outcomes for all students."

- Kris Amundson, President/CEO of the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE)

"The National Title I Association is pleased to have served with like-minded groups as advisory to the development of the Evidence for ESSA website. While we would stop short of any specific curriculum or product endorsement, we do support this resource as a viable tool for schools and districts in selecting appropriate learning resources." 

- Mike Radke, President of the National Title I Association

"With so many choices in educational resources and programs, the Evidence for ESSA website provides school leaders a much-needed service by cutting through the noise and curating the resources that have the greatest potential. The site introduces a new efficiency for school leaders, accelerating their instructional leadership. I strongly encourage all principals and assistant principals to take full advantage of this new tool."

- JoAnn Bartoletti, Executive Director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)

"As we move forward with the ESSA implementation process, we offer our warmest congratulations to the Center for Research and Reform in Education for the creation of this new site. NREAC's mission is to advocate for the highest quality education for the children in rural America. Evidenceforessa.org will serve as an invaluable resource for educators and community leaders in these areas who are working on behalf of these children."

- Ray V. Patrick, Chairman of the National Rural Education Advocacy Consortium (NREAC)

"The National Rural Education Association serves as the national voice for rural schools and rural communities across the nation. It's our job to ensure that educators in these communities have every resource available to properly educate the students they serve. We congratulate the Center for Research and Reform in Education for building a website with easy-to-use information about the Every Student Succeeds Act, one of the most important pieces of education legislation we have seen in a generation. This new site will undoubtedly become a valuable resource as we continue to push our nation's public education agenda forward."

- Allen Pratt, Executive Director of the National Rural Education Association (NREA)

"Evidence for ESSA is taking on a vitally important task, helping education leaders find evidence-based practices and programs that are right for their schools. We encourage educators to consider using this tool as part of their continuous improvement efforts."

- Michele Jolin, CEO and Co-Founder of Results for America

"America Forward and members of the America Forward Coalition believe policy decisions should be driven by evidence, and we strongly support the evidence provisions included in ESSA. We are thrilled to partner with the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University on the launch of the Evidence for ESSA database, which will serve as a resource to educators and effective external partners, including those in the America Forward Coalition as they navigate the planning and implementation of the ESSA evidence provisions."

- Deborah Smolover, Executive Director of America Forward and New Profit Managing Partner

"Evidence is an essential tool for equity. The Every Student Succeeds Act calls for evidence-based interventions, but there is a big difference between a provision in federal law and implementation in schools and communities. This resource connects the dots by providing educators on the front lines with information that will help them determine the most effective interventions to implement based on their context."

- Bob Wise, President of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia

"Evidence for ESSA is a critical, well-timed, and easy-to-use resource to answer the question on every educator's mind: What programs meet the standards of evidence under the new law?"

- Betsy Brand, Executive Director of the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF)

Established in 2004, the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University strives to improve the quality of education for children in grades pre-K to 12 through high-quality research and evaluation studies and the dissemination of evidence-based research. The mission of Evidence for ESSA, CRRE's newest project, is to provide clear and authoritative information on programs that meet the ESSA evidence standards and enable educators and communities to select effective educational tools to improve student success.

CONTACT: 
Ilana Brunner
202-590-0800
[email protected]

SOURCE Center for Research and Reform in Education