Ad-Hoc Reviews of Individual Studies in Education (ARISE) covers a variety of the WWC’s needs for reviewing studies and presenting findings of individual study reviews. The key contact for ARISE is Fran Harmon at Developmental Services Group, Inc.

The Preschool-to-Postsecondary Evidence Synthesis Task Orders (PESTO) produce practice guides and intervention reports in specific areas. Under Assisting Students Struggling with Behavior in Grades K-12 (PESTO Task Order 1), the contractor prepares practice guides and related products informed by a systematic review of evidence on the impacts of school-based behavior interventions on students in kindergarten through grade 12 who have been identified as struggling with behavior, at risk of social and behavioral programs, or in need of interventions to address externalizing behaviors, internalizing behaviors, or both. The key contact for PESTO Task Order 1 is Brian Freeman at Abt Associates.

The Preschool-to-Postsecondary Evidence Synthesis Task Orders (PESTO) produce practice guides and intervention reports in specific areas. Under College and Career Readiness for Secondary School Students (PESTO Task Order 2), the contractor prepares practice guides and related products informed by a systematic review of evidence on the impacts of programs and practices to promote the college and career readiness and access of students in grades 6 through 12. The key contact for PESTO Task Order 2 is Sarah Wissel at Mathematica.

The Preschool-to-Postsecondary Evidence Synthesis Task Orders (PESTO) produce practice guides and intervention reports in specific areas. Under Organizing and Differentiating Instruction in STEM in Grades K-8 (PESTO Task Order 3), the contractor prepares practice guides and related products informed by a systematic review of evidence on the impacts of instructional practices and routines that promote student learning and engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in kindergarten through grade 8. The key contact for PESTO Task Order 3 is Sarah Sahni at American Institutes for Research.

The Preschool-to-Postsecondary Evidence Synthesis Task Orders (PESTO) produce practice guides and intervention reports in specific areas. Under English Language and Literacy Interventions in Kindergarten to Grade 3 (PESTO Task Order 4), the contractor prepares practice guides and related products informed by a systematic review of best practices for providing targeted reading instruction for students in kindergarten through grade 3, focusing on programs or interventions for students at risk for reading difficulties. The key contact for PESTO Task Order 4 is Brian Freeman at Abt Associates.

The Preschool-to-Postsecondary Evidence Synthesis Task Orders (PESTO) produce practice guides and intervention reports in specific areas. Under Supporting Student Success in High School Classrooms (PESTO Task Order 5), the contractor prepares practice guides and related products informed by a systematic review of evidence on the impacts of educational practices, products, programs, and policies that promote student success and can be implemented by general education teachers in grades 9 through 12 classrooms. Interventions that promote student academic readiness, knowledge, and skills as well as favorable social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health outcomes are eligible for review. The key contact for PESTO Task Order 5 is Natalya Gnedko-Berry at American Institutes for Research.

Technical Assistance for Studies of Effectiveness (TASTE) is a task order under the Procurement of Research Evaluation and Statistics Task Orders (PRESTO) contract that provides technical assistance to the external evaluators of the projects funded by the Postsecondary Student Success Grant Program. The technical assistance is to ensure early- and mid-phase grants are designed to meet the WWC’s research standards and determine whether projects successfully improved postsecondary student success outcomes for underserved students. The key contact for TASTE is Lauren Scher at Mathematica.

Tools, Online Assistance, Standards, and Training (TOAST) is the coordination contract for the WWC and its content contractors. The key contact for TOAST is Sarah Wissel at Mathematica.

TOAST achieves the objectives of this contract through six main activities:

1. Developing statistical standards and procedures about how studies should be reviewed in consultation with methodological experts and WWC content contractors through the Statistical, Technical, and Analysis Team (STAT).
2. Training users on the standards to become certified reviewers for the WWC by developing online trainings, maintaining the certification process, providing annual training and targeted technical assistance, and answering reviewer questions.
3. Building and maintaining the WWC Online Study Review Guide (OSRG) application to review studies and publish study reviews to the WWC. WWC content contractors use the OSRG to review studies.
4. Ensuring the quality of reviews and publications by providing peer review and quality control.
5. Publishing study reviews and reports based on study reviews on the WWC website.
6. Conducting study reviews and producing products summarizing the results of study reviews.