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'What Works' Process for Assessing Studies Called Valid

Officials buoyed, critics unsatisfied, by review requested by Congress.

A new review by an independent panel of experts concludes that the U.S. Department of Education’s much-criticized What Works Clearinghouse is doing a “reasonable job” of reviewing and rating the research evidence on the effectiveness of programs and practices in education.

Created in 2002 by the Institute of Education Sciences, the department’s primary research arm, the clearinghouse has come under fire from policymakers, researchers, and practitioners, who question its usefulness and methods. Some have dubbed it the “nothing works” clearinghouse because of the limited number of programs and studies that meet its strict screening standards.

But in its report, which was posted online Nov. 19, the six-member panel contends that the clearinghouse’s review standards are “well documented” and “reasonable.” The study further characterizes the reports that the clearinghouse produces...