Building a stronger education evidence system
A cross-sector group of researchers, evaluators, and evidence leaders.
We work to make education evidence more credible, interpretable, and useful.
Who we are
Network expertise
The Network spans the main sources of failure in evidence use — from study design to the decision contexts where findings are acted on.
Methods and design
Causal inference; design and power in field settings; effect heterogeneity and generalizability — the issues that sit underneath many claims about "what works," "for whom," and "where."
Measurement and modern data
Psychometrics, measurement, and data science/AI — including the opportunities and risks of platform data and rapidly evolving measures.
Evaluation and evidence standards
Large-scale evaluations; evidence synthesis; and roles that shape field standards for credible evidence.
Evidence use in systems
Procurement and contracting; cost and cost-effectiveness; and how implementation constraints shape what evidence can reasonably be asked to do.
Context
Why This Work Now
Education evidence is now generated and used through more channels, on shorter timelines, and with less shared infrastructure. At the same time, leaders are asked to make setting-specific decisions from evidence that was often produced for other purposes.
As federal support for education R&D becomes less certain and schools continue to change through new technologies and evolving practices, these challenges become more consequential.
Featured Work
Related Commentary
Why More Rigorous Studies Alone Are Not Enough
An op-ed on the main findings of the Network's two reports: one on the education evidence system, and one on interpreting evidence in decision settings.
Read commentary →From Compliance to Learning: Rethinking the Federal Role in Education Evidence
How federal policy can better support state learning, evidence use, and decision-making.
Read commentary →Our focus
From studies to decisions
The Network's work addresses three recurring challenges in education evidence: how the system is built, how evidence should be interpreted, and how findings are translated into claims and then into action.
Building a stronger evidence system
How the education evidence system is organized, where it is under strain, and what stronger public infrastructure would require.
Interpreting evidence for decisions
How leaders can judge what evidence supports, what it does not, and what still needs to be learned.
Tools for using evidence well
Practical resources, including the Evidence Receipt and worked examples of how evidence can be used more responsibly in decision settings.
What we do
Our impact priorities
1
Comparability
Define clearer standards so claims can be interpreted across settings, student groups, and implementation conditions.
2
Accountability
Improve how claims are documented, bounded, and reviewed over time using practical tools like Evidence Receipts.
3
Updating
Make evidence guidance easier to refresh as products, measures, and contexts evolve quickly.
4
Decision Use
Support funders and field leaders making real decisions under budget, timing, and implementation constraints.