There is an increasing emphasis on the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) by public elementary school teachers, yet little is known about how teachers and other education stakeholders (e.g., administrators, policymakers) can best support the successful implementation of such practices. The authors of this report sought to understand teachers' perspectives on their readiness to implement EBPs by surveying a nationally representative panel of 1,065 public elementary school teachers. The survey, fielded from January 20, 2020, to February 24, 2020, covered three domains related to EBP adoption and implementation: (1) innovation characteristics (EBP appropriateness), (2) characteristics of individuals (openness to EBPs, burnout), and (3) inner setting characteristics (EBP implementation climate, management support). Teachers' responses suggest that they view EBPs favorably, but they do not consistently see their workloads and school environments as conducive to using EBPs. Survey findings suggest that it is essential to understand teachers' perceptions of working conditions at their schools (e.g., inner setting characteristics, burnout), because those measures showed the most variability in survey response data. Indeed, a school's ability to assess readiness for EBPs is an important first step toward cultivating the conditions for successful EBP implementation, and too often teachers are not able to give input into assessing readiness. The authors discuss the implications of survey findings for EBP implementation in elementary school settings, with a focus on how school administrators, policymakers, teachers, and other stakeholders might best understand what is needed to successfully implement EBPs, both prior to and during the implementation process.

There is an increasing emphasis on the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) by public elementary school teachers, yet little is known about how teachers and other education stakeholders (e.g., administrators, policymakers) can best support the successful implementation of such practices. The authors of this report sought to understand teachers' perspectives on their readiness to implement EBPs by surveying a nationally representative panel of 1,065 public elementary school teachers.,The survey, fielded from January 20, 2020, to February 24, 2020, covered three domains related to EBP adoption and implementation: (1) innovation characteristics (EBP appropriateness), (2) characteristics of individuals (openness to EBPs, burnout), and (3) inner setting characteristics (EBP implementation climate, management support).,Teachers' responses suggest that they view EBPs favorably, but they do not consistently see their workloads and school environments as conducive to using EBPs. Survey findings suggest that it is essential to understand teachers' perceptions of working conditions at their schools (e.g., inner setting characteristics, burnout), because those measures showed the most variability in survey response data. Indeed, a school's ability to assess readiness for EBPs is an important first step toward cultivating the conditions for successful EBP implementation, and too often teachers are not able to give input into assessing readiness.,The authors discuss the implications of survey findings for EBP implementation in elementary school settings, with a focus on how school administrators, policymakers, teachers, and other stakeholders might best understand what is needed to successfully implement EBPs, both prior to and during the implementation process.

Between 1998 and 2014, the Promising Practices Network (PPN) on Children, Families and Communities website (www.promisingpractices.net) provided information on programs and practices that credible research indicated are effective in improving outcomes for children, youth, and families. This document was originally published as part of PPN's Issue Brief series, and it is intended to help PPN visitors understand some of the variation in how the field of child and family services defines "best available research evidence." The authors describe the history of evidence-based practices and review varying definitions of them, comparing the PPN criteria with those from other organizations.,While the specifics may differ, substantial similarities remain across resources for evidence-based practices in the requirements for a program to be labeled "evidence-based," "proven," a "model program," and so on. In making their judgments, some resources rely exclusively on very detailed and explicit requirements for each of the criteria, while others also employ expert judgment from a review panel. Strong research evidence on what works to improve outcomes in child and family services has proliferated in the past decade and a half, along with resources on evidence-based practices to help policymakers and others evaluate the burgeoning research. While there is debate on what constitutes an evidence-based practice, definitions have a number of evidence criteria in common. Decisionmakers can use resources such as PPN and others discussed in this document to identify evidence-based practices.

Document submitted on April 16, 2014 as an addendum to testimony presented before the House Ways and Means Committee, Subcommittee on Human Resources on April 2, 2014.

Testimony presented before the House Ways and Means Committee, Subcommittee on Human Resources on April 2, 2014.

No abstract is available for this document.

With the growing push toward accountability and the interest in designing programs based on scientific evidence, decisionmakers need to know “what works” in the child policy arena. This need has fueled a proliferation of “best practices” projects, one of which is the RAND-operated Promising Practices Network (PPN) on Children, Families and Communities. Through its Web site and email communications, PPN provides high-quality objective evidence about what improves outcomes for children and families, with an emphasis on serving policymakers and providers.,Reprinted with permission from Journal of Policy Analysis and Management. Copyright © 2003 Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.