Review Protocols
This review-specific protocol guides the review of research that informs the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) intervention reports in the Children Identified With or at Risk for an Emotional Disturbance topic area. The review-specific protocol is used in conjunction with the WWC Procedures and Standards Handbook (version 3.0).
This review focuses on interventions designed for use with K–12 students identified as having an emotional disturbance (ED) or at risk for classification of ED. This review will focus on the effect of interventions on the following types of outcomes: academic, problem behaviors, school engagement, self-determination, social-emotional competence, and transitional (i.e., the behavioral, social, functional skills that enable young adults with disabilities to obtain and hold meaningful employment, live independently, and obtain further training and education).
The following research questions guide this review:
- Which interventions are effective at improving outcomes of students identified with an ED, students at risk for classification of ED, students who have an emotional or behavior disorder consistent with ED, or students who are receiving an intervention to prevent classification? Are some interventions more effective than others for these students?
- Does the effectiveness of interventions for students with an ED vary by type of outcome?
- Are some interventions more effective for particular subgroups of students with an ED (for example, differences based on grade/age, English learner status, gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, school level) or in particular settings?
Table of Contents
- Purpose Statement
- Key Definitions
- Procedures for Conducting the Literature Search
- Eligibility Criteria
- Design Standards
Protocol Details
- Version: 3.0
- Released: December 2015
- Version: 2.0
- Released: October 2011
What is a Protocol?
Starting in January 2021, the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) uses the Study Review Protocol in combination with the Procedures and Standards Handbook to guide reviews of all studies. In particular, the Study Review Protocol provides additional information on eligible outcome domains for all topic areas reviewed by the WWC and provides examples of outcome measures that fall within each domain.
When conducting systematic reviews, the WWC uses the Study Review Protocol to review studies and an accompanying topic area synthesis protocol to define the parameters of the systematic review. The synthesis protocol provides criteria for the literature search; guidance on how to identify and prioritize relevant studies for review and inclusion in evidence synthesis products; and guidance on intervention, sample, and outcome eligibility criteria for the synthesis.
Prior to 2021, studies were typically reviewed using a topic-specific synthesis protocol and the corresponding version of the Procedures and Standards Handbook. In addition to defining the parameters for the review, these protocols described any topic-specific applications of the design standards, such as how to establish baseline equivalence between samples when required.