Beginning Reading, Early Childhood Education, Middle School Math, and Elementary School Math are currently active topics in the WWC, with studies being reviewed by our researchers and evaluators. The following topics are inactive at this time and may be revisited periodically in future years: Dropout Prevention, English Language Learners, and Character Education.
The topics chosen for systematic review reflect a wide range of our nation's most pressing issues in education. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) prioritizes topics based on the following criteria:
- potential to improve important student outcomes;
- applicability to a broad range of students or to particularly important subpopulations;
- policy relevance and perceived demand within the education community; and
- likely availability of scientific studies.
Specifically, the topics were selected from nominations received through:
- emails from the public;
- meetings and presentations sponsored by the What Works Clearinghouse;
- the What Works Network;
- suggestions presented by senior members of education associations, policymakers, and the U. S. Department of Education; and
- reviews of existing research.
The topics include:
Beginning Reading. Reading interventions for students in grades K-3 (or ages 5-8) that are intended to increase skills in alphabetics (phonemic awareness, phonological awareness, print awareness and phonics), reading fluency, comprehension (vocabulary and reading comprehension), or general reading achievement. 
Character Education. Interventions included have the development of character traits as a main goal and intentionally provide comprehensive character education, but they do not necessarily have to be explicitly referred to as a character education intervention. Only research on interventions that are schoolwide will be reviewed. All reviewed programs need to be replicable (i.e., can be reproduced). 
Dropout Prevention. Interventions in middle school, junior high school, or high school designed to increase high school completion, including techniques such as the use of incentives, counseling, or monitoring. 
Early Childhood Education. Interventions for Improving Preschool Children's School Readiness Curricula and practices designed for use in center-based settings with 3- to 5-year-old children who are not yet in kindergarten, with a primary focus on cognitive and language competencies associated with school readiness (language, literacy, math, and cognition). The review includes center-based early childhood education interventions designed to improve the school readiness skills of preschool children with developmental delays or diagnosed disabilities. These may be inclusive interventions used with all children or targeted interventions designed specifically for children with developmental delays or diagnosed disabilities. 
Elementary School Math. Curriculum-based interventions outlining the fundamentals of mathematics that students should know and be able to do, instructional programs and materials that organize the mathematical content, and assessments. Within this broad topic of curricula, the first set of reports focuses on middle school and the second focuses on elementary school. 
English Language Learners. Interventions for Elementary School English Language Learners: Increasing English Language Acquisition and Academic Achievement Curriculum-based interventions and teaching practices designed to improve the English language literacy or academic achievement of elementary school students who are English Language Learners. 
Middle School Math Curricula. Curriculum-based interventions outlining the fundamentals of mathematics that students should know and be able to do, instructional programs and materials that organize the mathematical content, and assessments. Within this broad topic of math curricula, the first set of reports focuses on middle school and the second focuses on elementary school. If you would you like to submit a topic for future consideration by the WWC, more information is available at Submit a Study, Intervention, or Topic.
