What works? Issues in synthesizing educational program evaluations

Slavin, R. (2008). What works? Issues in synthesizing educational program evaluations. Educational Researcher, 37(1), 5-14.

Slavin highlights a number of the problems found in current reviews of “evidence-based” programs implemented as part of school reform.

It is obvious from Slavin’s essay that the issues are complex. Any number of problems can cause reviews to over-estimate the value of a program. With the stakes so high these days, the situation is ripe for corruption. Although some of the problems that can “corrupt” research findings might occur unintentionally, when they occur on purpose, to make a publisher’s program appear more effective in order to create financial gain, you start to really see the enormity of the situation. That’s what you get when corporations become involved in education. Slavin writes as if this sort of corruption occurs frequently. Ironically, I’m wondering if this has occurred with Success for All, Slavin’s own reform program, now being implemented in the Kansas City School District? This article gave me pause.