Find the best evidence-based interventions for your students

Word Learning Strategies (WLS)

4th Grade

Word Learning Strategies (WLS) is a supplementary curriculum designed to develop upper-elementary students' vocabulary acquisition skills to improve reading comprehension, particularly for English learners and students from low-income backgrounds. The program teaches students to use context clues, word parts, and dictionaries to learn the meanings of unknown words, with Spanish-speaking English learners receiving additional instruction in using cognates and all English learners receiving instruction in recognizing idioms. WLS provides 15 weeks of whole-class instruction delivered three days per week for about 30 minutes per day, plus additional web-based remedial lessons for students who need more practice, three web-based lessons on Spanish cognates for Spanish-speaking English learner students, and three web-based lessons on idioms for all English learners. The program uses teacher-led direct explanation with constructivist elements and includes online tutorials and videos to prepare teachers, a detailed teacher manual with day-by-day lesson plans, presentation materials, student activity books, quizzes, and tests. Teachers participated in approximately 3 hours of professional development provided by WestEd before implementation.

2019

Low

9 Weeks

Cost per student

$119.12

Targeted Intensive School Support (TISS) Program

3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade

Targeted Intensive School Support (TISS) is a team-based leadership development and coaching intervention designed for struggling NYC Department of Education schools. The program draws principals from NYC Leadership Academy's Aspiring Principals Program (APP) and assistant principals from the Leadership Advancement Program (LAP), matching them as like-minded partners during preservice training. TISS aims to coplace these principal-AP teams into high-needs schools and provide 328 hours of coaching over three years (compared to the typical 72 hours in year one). The coaching is team-based, with at least 30% of hours supporting the broader leadership team beyond just the principal. A diagnostic process helps leaders identify school priorities through data review and evidence analysis, which then informs goal-setting and coaching focus. Coaches receive specialized training in team-based coaching strategies. The program targets elementary, middle, and high schools serving predominantly minority and economically disadvantaged student populations.

2020

Cost per student

N/A

Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC)

3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade

Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) is a professional development program that supports teachers in implementing Common Core State Standards by integrating literacy skill development throughout content areas. Teachers participate in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) that meet regularly (typically weekly or biweekly) to collaboratively design and adapt standards-driven writing assignments called LDC modules. The program provides synchronous support through coach-facilitated PLC sessions and asynchronous support through written feedback via the CoreTools online platform. Teachers create modules that require sustained writing and use of evidence, implementing at least two modules per year. LDC coaches provide training, feedback on module design, and support for classroom implementation. The program targets middle and elementary school teachers across core content areas (ELA, social studies/history, and science) and requires substantial time commitment including common planning time, professional development sessions, and classroom implementation.

2020

36 Weeks

Cost per student

N/A

Mission HydroSci (MHS)

6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade

Mission HydroSci (MHS) is a 3D game-based learning environment and curriculum designed for middle school students (grades 6-8) to support learning of water systems science and scientific argumentation. The program is a rigorous, coherent 6 to 8-day curriculum where all learning activities and social interactions take place in a virtual world. Students progress through six units covering topics including topography and water flow, watersheds, dissolved materials in surface water, groundwater systems, the water cycle, and culminating problem-solving challenges. The curriculum is delivered one-on-one with computers (Windows or Mac systems with 8GB RAM and headsets) in blended learning classrooms or technology laboratories. Teachers observe and support students through an online support system enhanced by analytics including a teacher dashboard. Teachers complete 2-3 hours of online training to prepare for implementation and have access to a teacher online community for ongoing support.

2020

1 Weeks

Cost per student

N/A

Science Notebook in a Universal Design for Learning Environment

4th Grade

The Science Notebook in a Universal Design for Learning Environment (SNUDLE) is a digital notebook designed for fourth-grade elementary school students, particularly those who struggle with reading and writing or are unmotivated to learn science. SNUDLE uses the Universal Design for Learning framework to support active science learning through built-in accessibility features including text-to-speech technology with real-time highlighting, word-by-word English-to-Spanish translation, keyboard-accessible actions, and a multimedia glossary. The digital platform provides students space to collect, organize, and display observations and data; reflect on inquiry experiences; and demonstrate understanding through text answers, data tables, photo uploads, and drawing tools. Teachers provide formative, interactive feedback on student work through the platform. The intervention is implemented in inclusive general education science classrooms using the district's STEMscopes curriculum. Teachers received training on using SNUDLE before implementation.

2019

36 Weeks

Cost per student

N/A

Higher Achievement

4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade

Higher Achievement is an intensive summer and after-school program for students in grades 5-8 in under-resourced schools. Students enter during the summer before fifth or sixth grade and commit to attending through eighth grade. The program offers more than 500 hours of academic enrichment annually through Achievement Centers hosted in select middle schools. During the school year, the Afterschool Academy operates three days a week (3:30-7:30 p.m.) for 25 weeks, providing homework help/study hall, dinner, enrichment activities, and 75-minute English Language Arts (ELA) or math lessons delivered by trained volunteer mentors to small groups of 3-4 scholars. The six-week Summer Academy offers eight-hour days with morning academic instruction in ELA, math, science, and sometimes social studies delivered by certified or student teachers, followed by afternoon enrichment electives and field trips. The program is overseen by a full-time center director and assistant director at each center. Higher Achievement uses detailed, scripted lesson plans aligned with Common Core standards and focuses on four social justice themes: freedom, voice, solidarity, and justice.

2020

21 Weeks

Cost per student

N/A

First Step Next

Preschool

First Step Next (FSN) is a Tier 2 early intervention program for pre-K through grade 2 children that targets social skills and academic enablers to promote school success and prevent externalizing behavior problems. The program includes three major components: (1) social skills instruction where a coach helps the target child master 'Super Student Skills' through one-on-one behavioral lessons covering skills like following directions, being safe, doing your best work, asking for help the right way, and being a team player; (2) the green-card game where the coach or teacher uses a laminated card with green and red sides to provide feedback to the target child and classmates for complying with or not following teacher expectations; and (3) home-school connections where parents receive a workbook focused on positive parenting strategies and daily feedback from the FSN coach via notes or phone calls. A trained coach delivers the first 5-7 days of the program (coach phase), then transitions control to the teacher who continues implementation from day 11 onward (teacher phase). Teachers receive a daylong workshop training session in FSN and classroom management principles before implementation.

2020

Cost per student

N/A

Rural Math Innovation Network (RMIN)

8th Grade, 9th Grade

Rural Math Innovation Network (RMIN) is a professional development intervention for Pre-Algebra and Algebra I teachers in rural Virginia school districts. The program uses a networked improvement community (NIC) model where teachers collaborate to incorporate social-emotional learning (SEL) factors—specifically academic self-efficacy and growth mindset—into lesson plans for teaching career-readiness math competencies. Teachers participate in the NIC to innovate and implement SEL-integrated math lessons. The intervention was implemented over multiple years (2017-2019) with cohorts of middle and high school math teachers across rural school divisions in southwest and southside Virginia. Teachers received supports to develop SEL math lessons and establish technology capacity for lesson development and implementation.

2020

Cost per student

N/A

Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC)

Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade

Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) is a professional development program that supports teachers in implementing Common Core State Standards by integrating literacy skill development throughout content areas. The program focuses on developing teacher competencies through job-embedded professional development and professional learning communities (PLCs). Teachers work collaboratively with coaches to design standards-driven, literacy-rich writing assignments within their existing curricula across all content areas. The intervention targets K-12 teachers and students, with implementation occurring through regular PLC meetings (typically weekly or biweekly for 45-60 minutes), where teachers learn to create and adapt LDC modules—instructional units that include a culminating writing assignment. Teachers access online resources through the CoreTools platform, receive virtual coaching support via Zoom meetings and written feedback, and participate in in-person professional development sessions. The program expects teachers to adapt two existing modules and create one module from scratch during the school year, then implement at least two modules in their classrooms.

2019

36 Weeks

Cost per student

N/A

DreamBox Learning

Kindergarten, 1st Grade

DreamBox Learning is an adaptive online mathematics program for kindergarten and first-grade students that tailors instruction to student needs and provides feedback to teachers. The program is based on National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards and focuses on learning numbers and operations, place value, and number sense, with activities often using the open number line to touch upon measurement and geometry. At Rocketship schools, students accessed DreamBox in Learning Labs for 20-40 minutes per day (most sessions lasting 40 minutes) over a 4-month period (70 days of instruction), supplementing 100-110 minutes per day of face-to-face mathematics instruction. The program recommends students spend a minimum of 90 minutes per week. Labs are run by noncredentialed hourly staff (lab coordinators) who play a minimal role in instruction. While DreamBox generates information for teachers about student progress and struggles, this feature was not used by Rocketship's classroom teachers to modify instruction.

2011

14 Weeks

Cost per student

N/A

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