Evidence-Based Special Education in the Context of Scarce Evidence-Based Practices

Evidence-based practices (EBPs) are supported as generally effective for populations of learners by bodies of high-quality and experimental research and, when aligned with stakeholder values and practical needs, should be prioritized for implementation. However, evidence-based practices are not currently available for all learner types in all outcome areas. The Council for Exceptional Children's Interdivisional Research Group recommends that in the absence of relevant evidence-based practices, special educators use existing resources to identify promising practices based on the best available evidence to inform their instructional decision making. The Group fully supports the identification and application of evidence-based practices in special education. However, they also recognize that the number of EBPs identified for learners with disabilities is limited and insufficient to address all the instructional needs of special educators. In this article, they describe characteristics of credible evidence used to classify EBPs and propose that in the absence of EBPs, special educators apply the same principles to identify promising practices. [This article was written by the Council for Exceptional Children's Interdivisional Research Group: Bryan G. Cook, Erik W. Carter, Debra L. Cote, Margaret Kamman, Tessa McCarthy, Michel L. Miller, Gina Scala, and Jason Travers.]