*(Bolded words signify specific keywords used in reviews)
Design:
There are eight types of designs that serve to classify studies:
- Randomized Experiment: Pretest and posttest measures are collected, a control group is included, and participants are randomly assigned to treatment and control groups.
- Comparison:
o Matched Comparison (Demographics): Pretest and posttest measures are collected, a control group is included, and participants are divided into treatment and control groups in a manner that demographic variables (gender, age, grade, ethnicity, disability, socioeconomic status) are similar for both groups.
o Matched Comparison (Pretest): Pretest and posttest measures are collected, a control group is included, and pretest scores are used to divide participants into groups that are similar in ability.
o Non-matched Comparison: Pretest and posttest measures are collected, a control group is included, but groups are not manipulated to account for demographic or pretest differences.
- One Group Pretest-Posttest: Pretest and Posttest measures are collected, but there is no control group.
- Static Group Comparison: Posttest measures only are collected and a control group is included.
- Single Subject: Any study that allows for the participant to serve as their own control; no control group is utilized.
- Meta-analysis: A method that combines the results of several studies that address comparable research questions
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Case Study: Posttest measures only are collected; no control group in utilized.
- Longitudinal: Measures are collected multiple times over a span of more than 2 years
Students Included:
Characteristics of students included in studies are classified into:
- Grade (Kindergarten Students, First Grade Students, etc.)
- Age (Elementary Students, Adolescents, etc.)
- Disability (Students w/ Disabilities, Students w/Autism, etc.)
- Placement (Special Education, General Education)
- Remedial (Students who are below grade level)
- At-risk (Low SES, At-risk for academic failure)
- Specific Status (Incarcerated Students, English Language Learners, etc.)
- Ethnicity
- o Students are classified based on 2006 NAEP statistics:
- § Nationally, minority enrollment in public school is as follows:
- 20.2% Hispanic
- 15.6% African American
- 3.8% Asian
- 2.7% Multiracial
- 0.7% Alaskan/Native American
- 0.2% Pacific Islander
- o If the proportion of minority representation in studies meets or exceeds these national enrollment proportions, then a study is classified as including the specific demographic.
Location:
Location refers to the geographical region of the study. Regions are classified as follows:
o New England: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut
o Middle Atlantic: New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey
o East North Central: Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio
o West North Central: North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri
o South Atlantic: Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida
o East South Central: Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama
o West South Central: Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana
o Mountain: Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico
o Pacific: Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii
Setting:
Setting refers to the type of school that the study takes place:
- Elementary School, Middle School, High School, Preschool
- Charter School, Private School, Alternative School, Juvenile Corrections Facility
Fidelity Measured:
If a study indicates that fidelity data was collected, then this identifier will be marked with a Yes. If there is no indication of fidelity monitoring in the study, then No will be marked.
Other Tags:
Program/Intervention: The curricula, programs, instruction methods or interventions included in the study will be indicated (Reading Mastery, Houghton-Mifflin, etc.) Both experimental and comparison programs will be listed. Also, the subject of interest (reading, math, etc.) will be indicated.
Dependent Measures: Measures that were used to determine efficacy will be tagged (Woodcock Johnson Achievement Test, DIBELS, etc.)
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