The No Child Left Behind Act is comprised of four pillars, one of which is “proven education methods.” This paper attempts to provide a historical context for the development of evidence-based education by examining its foundation in medical practice. Next, the rationale for evidence of educational effectiveness based on a scientific “gold standard,” the randomized controlled trial (RCT), is explored and the relative limitations of this approach are outlined. Finally, important distinctions between medicine and education are explained. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS FULL MANUSCRIPT: http://cnx.org/content/m15762/latest/
