WWC Advanced Group Design, Module 5: Continuity Between the Outcome & Forcing Variable

WWC Advanced Group Design, Module 5: Continuity of the Relationship Between the Outcome and Forcing Variable
Module 5 of to the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Advanced Group Design Standards Training covers the continuity of the relationship between the outcome and forcing variable standard. The module defines what the WWC means by continuity in the relationship between the outcome and the forcing variable and why the WWC is concerned about it. Then the module describes the criteria that make up the continuity standard and how to apply the standard in WWC review of regression discontinuity designs.

The WWC is an investment of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) within the U.S. Department of Education and was established in 2002. The work of the WWC is managed by a team of staff at IES and conducted under a set of contracts held by several leading firms with expertise in education, research methodology, and the dissemination of education research. For more than a decade, the WWC has been a central and trusted source of scientific evidence on education programs, products, practices, and policies. We review the research, determine which studies meet rigorous standards, and summarize the findings. We focus on high-quality research to answer the question, “What works in education?”