Class-level RCT
Tests interventions at the classroom level to prevent cross-group contamination
The Educational Randomized Controlled Trial (ERCT) Standard is a rigorous framework addressing key challenges in educational studies. With 12 criteria across 3 progressive levels, it resolves issues like bias, limited scope, and short-term focus – enabling researchers to produce actionable results that improve education systems worldwide.
The ERCT Standard has 3 levels, each containing 4 criteria
Tests interventions at the classroom level to prevent cross-group contamination
Uses standardized exams for objective and comparable results
Ensures studies last at least one academic term to measure meaningful impacts
Requires detailed control group data for proper comparisons
Expands testing to whole schools for real-world relevance
Removes bias by using third-party evaluators.
Ensures studies last at least one academic term to measure meaningful impacts
Ensures equal time and resources for both groups to isolate the intervention's impact.
Uses standardized exams for objective and comparable results
Assesses effects across all core subjects, avoiding imbalances
Tracks students until graduation to evaluate long-term impacts.
Increases transparency by publishing study plans before data collection
Randomisation occurred at the school level, which meets or exceeds the class‑level RCT requirement.
The study uses the nationally standardized ENLACE exam for objective, comparable assessment.
Outcomes were collected approximately three years after the intervention began, exceeding the minimum of one academic term.
Baseline demographics and pre‑intervention scores for the control group are provided in detail.
Randomisation at the school level fulfills the School‑level RCT requirement.
The evaluation was conducted by researchers unaffiliated with SEP, ensuring independence of the study’s implementation and analysis.
Participants were followed for approximately three years, which is longer than one academic year from intervention start to final outcomes.
The difference in time or resources between groups is trivial and integral to the intervention, unlikely to bias the results.
The paper does not reference any independent replication studies, and none were found in external literature.
Only math and language outcomes are measured, omitting other main subjects.
The RCT measured on-time high school completion, meaning participants were followed through the completion of that educational level.
No pre-registration statement or registry ID is provided in the paper or its references.
We use data from the randomized control trial of the Percepciones pilot to study whether providing 10th grade students with information about the average earnings associated with different educational attainments, life expectancy, and obtaining funding for higher education can contribute...
Randomization occurred at the class (school) level, avoiding within-class mixing and meeting the class-level RCT standard.
Student learning was measured with the TerraNova standardized test, a well‑established, nationally normed exam.
The intervention spanned a full academic year of seventh-grade instruction, exceeding the one-term minimum.
The control group’s practices, demographics, and baseline scores are clearly documented for proper comparison.
Entire schools (not just classes) were randomized, satisfying the school-level RCT requirement.
An independent research team evaluated the intervention, and no authors had a financial interest in ASSISTments.
The trial ran for a full academic year (with data from the second year cohort), meeting the one‑year duration requirement.
Both groups followed identical homework policies and content; the ASSISTments tool and training were the core treatment.
An independent replication by another research team found similar positive results, confirming the original findings.
Only mathematics achievement was assessed; other subjects were not tested.
Students were originally tracked only through 7th grade; a separate follow-up measured outcomes at the end of 8th grade, but tracking did not extend to high school graduation.
The study was not pre-registered; no registry or preregistration statement is provided.
In a randomized field trial with 2,850 seventh-grade mathematics students, we evaluated whether an educational technology intervention increased mathematics learning. Assigning homework is common yet sometimes controversial. Building on prior research on formative assessment and adaptive teaching, we predicted that...
Randomization was conducted at the school (cluster) level, satisfying the class‑level RCT criterion.
The study measured outcomes using national examination scores, a standardized assessment.
Intervention and follow‑up lasted ten months, exceeding a full academic term.
The control group’s size and baseline characteristics are clearly documented in the methods and tables.
Entire schools were randomized, satisfying the school‑level RCT criterion.
The same team that designed the intervention conducted and analyzed the trial without independent oversight.
Participants were tracked from February through December—one full academic year.
HIIT was integrated into standard PE time without additional class time or resources, keeping groups balanced.
No independent replication of this intervention has been reported.
Outcomes were measured only in mathematics and Mongolian language, not all main subjects.
Participants were not followed until graduation; follow-up ended at study completion.
Trial registration was completed before the study began (registered 1st February 2018).
OBJECTIVES: Physical inactivity is an important health concern worldwide. We examined the effects of an exercise intervention on children’s academic achievement, cognitive function, physical fitness, and other health-related outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cluster RCT among 2301 fourth‑grade students...
The study randomised treatment at the grade‐by‐school level, satisfying the class‐level RCT requirement.
They used the Smarter Balanced standardized exams for Math and ELA as outcome measures.
The intervention lasted from late October through May, satisfying the full academic term requirement.
Control group characteristics and communications are clearly documented in the methods and Table 1.
Randomisation occurred at the grade‐by‐school level rather than entire schools.
The study was designed, implemented, and analyzed by the same team without external evaluation.
The study intervention covered a full academic year.
No additional instructional time or budget was provided, only low‑cost informational text messages.
A separate research team reproduced the intervention in another context and reported similar positive results.
Only Math and ELA were assessed via standardized exams, failing to cover all core subjects.
Participants were tracked only through the end of the school year, not until graduation.
The study’s analysis plan and outcomes were publicly pre-registered before data collection began.
While leveraging parents has the potential to increase student performance, programs that do so are often costly to implement or they target younger children. We partner text‐messaging technology with school information systems to automate the gathering and provision of information...
Randomisation occurred at the school level with classes equally divided into intervention and control groups, satisfying the Class‑level RCT criterion.
The study used GL Assessment Progress Tests—standardized instruments in English, mathematics, and science—scored blind by the test publisher, fulfilling the ERCT Standard’s Exam‑based Assessment criterion.
Primary outcomes were measured 20 weeks after intervention start, exceeding a single academic term.
Control cohorts are described alongside intervention cohorts, with baseline comparisons implied.
The study’s RCT was conducted at the whole-school level: entire schools were randomly assigned to either the dialogic teaching intervention or the control condition, fulfilling the School‑level RCT criterion.
The RCT was conducted by an independent evaluation team, separate from the intervention’s designers.
The study lasted 20 weeks, well short of a full academic year.
Control group teachers did not receive the intervention’s teacher induction, training, or mentoring support.
No independent replication of this dialogic teaching trial is reported in the paper or elsewhere.
Student performance was assessed in English, mathematics and science, covering the core primary curriculum.
No follow‑up tracking to graduation is described in the study or in any subsequent publications.
No pre‑registration or protocol identifier is provided in the paper (the trial was only registered retrospectively on ISRCTN, after completion).
This paper considers the development and randomised control trial (RCT) of a dialogic teaching intervention designed to maximise the power of classroom talk to enhance students’ engagement and learning. Building on the author’s earlier work, the intervention’s pedagogical strand instantiates...
The study randomized entire schools to treatment or control, satisfying the requirement for class‑level RCT.
The study employed official state standardized exams for ELA and math, meeting the exam‑based assessment requirement.
Outcomes were measured in subsequent grades, well after at least one full academic term had elapsed, fulfilling the term‑duration requirement.
The control group’s makeup, baseline statistics, and alternate program are clearly documented, satisfying the requirement for a documented control group.
Randomization at the school level fulfills the school‑level RCT criterion.
The study was implemented and analyzed by the same team that developed the program, so there is no independent evaluation group.
Students’ outcomes were measured over multiple grades, covering at least a full academic year of follow‑up.
The control group’s activities were far less intensive than INSIGHTS, so resource allocation was not balanced.
There is no reference to an external, independent replication of the INSIGHTS trial.
The authors measured only ELA and math; other core subjects were not assessed.
No data are reported beyond sixth grade (middle school entry), so graduation tracking is incomplete.
No pre‑registered protocol or registry reference is provided in the paper.
Social‑Emotional Learning (SEL) programs are school‑based preventive interventions that aim to improve children’s social‑emotional skills and behaviors. Although meta‑analytic research has shown that SEL programs implemented in early childhood can improve academic and behavioral outcomes in the short‑term, there is...
Randomization occurred at the school (above-class) level, satisfying the class-level RCT requirement.
Outcomes were measured using the standardized ITBS reading test.
Reading outcomes were assessed after 12–20 weeks (roughly one academic term).
Control group conditions and baseline characteristics were thoroughly described.
No entire school was solely a treatment or solely a control site; randomization was within schools.
An independent evaluation team (with an external data center) conducted the study, separate from the program’s creators.
Outcomes were measured only midyear (half-year), with no full-year follow-up.
The Reading Recovery group got extra daily tutoring that the control group did not receive, resulting in unbalanced time/resources.
No evidence was found of an independent replication of this Reading Recovery study by another team.
Only reading was tested; no standard exams in other core subjects were reported.
The study did not track participants through to graduation.
No pre-registration or registry listing was provided for the study.
Reading Recovery (RR) is a short-term, one-to-one intervention designed to help the lowest achieving readers in first grade. This article presents first-year results from the multisite randomized controlled trial (RCT) and implementation study under the $55 million Investing in Innovation...
Randomization occurred at the classroom level, satisfying the class-level RCT requirement.
A standardized reading test (Gray Silent Reading Test) was used for outcome measurement.
Post-tests were administered after about 6–7 months of intervention, exceeding a single term.
The control group’s composition and baseline performance were clearly documented and comparable to the intervention group.
Randomization was done at the class level within schools, not at the school level (no whole-school assignment).
The researchers who developed the intervention also implemented the study (no independent evaluators were involved).
The study spanned about 7 months of one school year, with no outcomes tracked for a full year or longer.
Both groups had equal instructional time and curricular resources; ITSS replaced part of the normal class time rather than adding extra time.
The study has not been independently replicated by an unrelated research team.
Outcomes were limited to reading comprehension; no other core subjects were tested.
Participants were not tracked beyond the immediate post-test in 4th grade (no long-term follow-up through graduation).
No pre-registered study protocol was identified for this trial.
Reading comprehension is a challenge for K‑12 learners and adults. Nonfiction texts, such as expository texts that inform and explain, are particularly challenging and vital for students’ understanding because of their frequent use in formal schooling (e.g., textbooks) as well...
Randomization was performed at the school level, exceeding the class-level requirement.
The study used custom-designed tests rather than a recognized standardized exam.
Outcomes were measured about 15 months after the intervention start, exceeding one academic term.
The control group’s size and treatment condition are clearly described, fulfilling documentation requirements.
Entire schools, rather than individual classes, were randomized to treatment and control.
The evaluation was performed by an independent team (IDB and academic partners), distinct from the OLPC Foundation designers.
Outcomes were measured 15 months post-start, satisfying the full academic year requirement.
Additional resources (laptops and training) were the treatment variable being tested, so the control condition appropriately remained business-as-usual.
An independent replication in Uruguay has confirmed the results.
Only math and language outcomes were assessed, not all main subjects.
A long-term follow-up study tracked student outcomes through graduation, meeting this criterion.
No statement of pre-registration is provided.
This paper presents results from a large-scale randomized evaluation of the One Laptop per Child program, using data collected after 15 months of implementation in 318 primary schools in rural Peru. The program increased the ratio of computers per student...
Randomisation at the school level satisfies the requirement for a class-level RCT.
The assessments were study-designed instruments, not recognised standardized exams.
Measurement occurred after five terms, satisfying at least one full academic term of follow-up.
The paper provides detailed baseline characteristics and conditions for the control group in Table 1.
Entire schools, not just classes, were randomly assigned to treatment or control.
The same research team and ICS officers designed, implemented, and analyzed the intervention without independent oversight.
The study tracked outcomes for more than an academic year, satisfying the Year Duration requirement.
The additional teacher is the treatment variable, so business-as-usual resourcing in the control group is acceptable.
Multiple independent studies have replicated this finding.
Only math and reading outcomes were measured, failing to cover all core subjects.
No follow-up through to primary school graduation is reported.
The study was not pre-registered before data collection.
Some education policymakers focus on bringing down pupil–teacher ratios. Others argue that resources will have limited impact without systematic reforms to education governance, teacher incentives, and pedagogy. We examine a program under which school committees at randomly selected Kenyan schools...
Pupils rather than whole classes were randomised.
A validated standardised exam (PhAB‑2) was used.
Post‑test occurred four months after the December start.
Control demographics and baseline scores are clearly provided.
Randomisation took place within, not between, schools.
Researchers were not affiliated with the program’s developer.
Only six months of data – under one school year.
Extra resources constituted the treatment itself, making balance proper.
The study’s findings were later replicated by an independent team.
The study measured literacy only, not all subjects.
Follow‑up ended two months after the block, not at graduation.
The paper provides no evidence of pre‑registration.
Background. Many school‑based interventions are delivered without evidence of effectiveness. Aims. This study evaluated the Lexia Reading Core5 program with 4‑ to 6‑year‑olds in Northern Ireland. Sample. One hundred and twenty‑six pupils were screened; ninety‑eight below‑average readers were randomised to an 8‑week block of...
Randomisation was conducted at the individual student level within schools rather than at the class level, leading to potential contamination across students in the same class.
The primary outcome is based on post‑intervention grade point averages from school records, not a standardized exam‑based assessment.
Outcomes (end‑of‑year GPAs) were measured at the end of the academic year, at least one full term after the intervention.
The control condition and its baseline data are clearly described, including content, fidelity, and demographics.
Randomisation occurred at the student level within schools, not at the school level.
Independent professional research companies conducted data collection and processing, separate from the intervention designers.
Outcomes were tracked through the end of ninth grade, covering a full academic year.
Both intervention and control groups received equivalent session time and attention, balancing educational inputs.
No independent replication of this national study by a different team is reported.
No standardized exam-based assessments across all core subjects; the study relies on administrative GPAs.
Participants were only tracked through ninth grade; no graduation tracking is reported.
The analysis plan and moderation hypotheses were pre-registered on OSF prior to data analysis.
A global priority for the behavioural sciences is to develop cost-effective, scalable interventions that could improve the academic outcomes of adolescents at a population level, but no such interventions have so far been evaluated in a population-generalizable sample. Here we...
Randomization was done at the Head Start site (center) level, which satisfies or exceeds class-level randomization.
The study measured child-level academic outcomes via teacher ratings, not a standardized, exam-based assessment of each child.
The paper reports that the intervention was conducted over an entire Head Start academic term (fall to spring), meeting the term duration criterion.
The control group’s business-as-usual setting is clearly described, including their staffing support and how it differed from the intervention.
Whole Head Start sites (equivalent to schools) were the unit of randomization, fulfilling the school-level RCT requirement.
The study does not mention any external evaluators. The intervention appears to have been evaluated by its own designers, lacking independent oversight.
The intervention spanned an entire preschool year (approximately 9 months), satisfying the one-year duration criterion.
The intervention group received extra training and mental health consultation services, whereas the control group did not receive comparable resources or attention.
No independent replication by other researchers is reported; this was a single-site study carried out by one team.
Academic performance was only assessed in language/literacy and math (via teacher-rated scales), rather than covering all core subjects with standardized exams.
The original CSRP participants were followed up in later years. A subsequent study by the same research team collected data on these students’ outcomes in high school, fulfilling the graduation tracking criterion.
No pre-registered analysis plan or study registration is mentioned. There is no evidence that the trial was registered before data collection.
The role of subsequent school contexts in the long-term effects of early childhood interventions has received increasing attention, but has been understudied in the literature. Using data from the Chicago School Readiness Project (CSRP), a cluster-randomized controlled trial conducted in...
Randomization was conducted at the individual student level rather than by class or school, failing the class-level RCT requirement.
Outcomes were measured via course grades and credits, not through a recognized standardized examination.
The intervention courses ran for a full 16-week semester, meeting the term duration requirement.
The control group’s composition, consent rates, and baseline covariates are documented in tables and text, satisfying documentation requirements.
The study randomized individual students rather than entire schools, failing the school-level RCT requirement.
The study was conducted by researchers independent from the designers of the corequisite models, satisfying the ERCT requirement for Criterion I.
The corequisite support lasted one semester; the Year-long intervention requirement is not satisfied.
The DE support hours are integral to the corequisite intervention, so the control’s business-as-usual condition is appropriate.
No independent replication of this RCT is reported in the paper.
Only reading and writing outcomes were measured, failing the all-subject exam requirement.
A follow-up study by the same research team tracked the original student cohort through graduation, satisfying the ERCT requirement for Criterion G.
There is no indication that the study protocol was pre-registered before data collection.
This study provides experimental evidence on the impact of corequisite remediation for students underprepared in reading and writing. We examine the short-term impacts of three corequisite models implemented at five large urban community colleges in Texas. Results indicate that corequisite...
Randomization occurred at the classroom level, preventing contamination across students in the same class.
The study employs bespoke KA Lite assessments, not established standardized exams.
The study measures outcomes after approximately six weeks, not a full term.
The control group’s makeup and activities are thoroughly described.
The study randomized individual classrooms, not whole schools.
The same research team designed and evaluated the intervention.
The intervention and measurement occur within ~12 weeks, not a full year.
Treatment and control groups received identical time and resources.
No independent replication study is mentioned.
Only mathematics outcomes are measured, not all core subjects.
The study ends after the units and does not follow students to graduation.
The protocol was pre‑registered in the AEA registry before implementation.
This randomized experiment implemented with school children in India directly tests an input incentive designed to increase effort on learning activities against both an output incentive that rewards test performance and a control. Students in the input incentive treatment perform...
The study randomized whole classes within schools, satisfying the class‑level RCT requirement.
The tests were custom assemblies of items from exam books, not formal standardized exams.
Student performance was assessed at the end of the fall semester, meeting the term‑duration requirement.
The control classes’ makeup, treatment conditions, and baseline data are clearly reported.
The trial randomised classes within schools rather than entire schools.
The authors who developed the CAL were also responsible for its implementation and assessment.
Tracking ceased at the semester’s end, not over a full academic year.
The additional CAL sessions are the treatment itself, so the control group’s business‑as‑usual status is appropriate.
The paper contains no mention of independent replication by a different research team.
The study assessed only math and Chinese; other core subjects were omitted.
Student outcomes were not monitored beyond the semester, so no graduation tracking occurred.
There is no evidence the trial was pre-registered before data collection.
The education of the disadvantaged population has been a long-standing challenge to education systems in both developed and developing countries. Although computer-assisted learning (CAL) has been considered one alternative to improve learning outcomes in a cost-effective way, the empirical evidence...
Randomization was conducted at the class level with intact classes assigned to each condition.
The study employed custom-designed tests of graphing and slope problems rather than a recognized standardized exam.
The study measured outcomes after approximately three months, satisfying the term-duration requirement.
The control group’s size and baseline comparability (NAEP scores) are documented in detail.
Randomization was at the class level within one school, not across multiple schools.
The study was conducted and scored by the authors, with no independent external evaluation.
Outcomes were measured within three months, not tracked over an academic year.
Both groups received the same number of assignments, problems, and review sessions, ensuring balanced time and resources.
There is no evidence of an independent replication study by a different research team that confirms these findings.
The study only assessed mathematics graphing and slope problems, not a full range of subjects.
Follow-up ended at 30 days post-review, with no tracking until graduation.
The paper does not report a pre-registration or registry before the intervention began.
A typical mathematics assignment consists primarily of practice problems requiring the strategy introduced in the immediately preceding lesson (e.g., a dozen problems that are solved by using the Pythagorean theorem). This means that students know which strategy is needed to...
Although randomization was not at the class level, the intervention was a fully individualized, at-home, computer-based program, satisfying the personal tutoring exception in the ERCT standard.
The study employed the standardized TOWRE subtests for reading fluency, meeting the exam‑based assessment requirement.
Outcome assessments occurred after at least 16 weeks of training (and within a 6‑month participation period), exceeding the one‑term minimum requirement.
The study lacked a separate control group, relying on a within‑subject baseline, thus failing the documented control group requirement.
The study randomized individual children rather than entire schools, so the school‑level RCT requirement is not met.
The intervention was conducted and monitored by the same team that designed it, failing the independent conduct requirement.
Participants were observed for about 6 months, not a full academic year, so the year‑duration requirement is not met.
The control condition had no training or additional support, so resources were not balanced.
No independent research team has published a replication of this trial, so reproducibility is not established.
The study measured only reading skills without assessing other core subjects, so the all-subject exams requirement is not met.
Participants were followed for about 6 months, with no data collection continuing through graduation, failing the graduation tracking requirement.
The trial was prospectively registered long before participants were enrolled, satisfying the pre-registered protocol requirement.
Given the importance of effective treatments for children with reading impairment, paired with growing concern about the lack of scientific replication in psychological science, the aim of this study was to replicate a quasi‑randomised trial of sight word and phonics...
Randomisation occurred at the school level, which satisfies the class‑level RCT requirement.
The authors used a bespoke nine‑item quiz rather than a recognised standardised exam.
The intervention lasted only a few hours over several weeks, not a full term.
The control group’s composition, baseline performance, and lack of intervention are clearly documented.
Randomisation at the school level fulfills the school‑level RCT criterion.
The intervention was designed, delivered, and assessed by the authors’ team with no third‑party evaluation.
The experiment ran under one academic year, so year‐long criterion is unmet.
The control group received no equivalent time or resources, so control was not balanced.
No independent replication of this intervention has been reported.
Only financial literacy was assessed, so all‐subject exam criterion is unmet.
The study tracked outcomes only up to seven weeks post‑intervention, not through graduation.
The trial was pre‑registered in the AEA RCT Registry before data collection.
This paper provides causal evidence on the effects of parental involvement on student outcomes in a financial education course based on two randomised controlled trials with a total of 2,779 grade 8 and 9 students in Flanders. Using an experimental design...
Randomisation was at the parent (individual) level, not at the class level.
The study used custom and adapted questionnaires rather than standardised exams.
A six‑month follow‑up assessment provided outcome measurement after at least one full academic term.
The wait‑list control group is described with detailed demographics and conditions.
Randomisation occurred at the individual level, with no schools assigned as units.
The authors who designed the program also delivered and assessed it without independent evaluation.
Follow‑up lasted six months, shorter than the full academic year required.
The study explicitly tests additional training resources as the intervention; the control group remained business‑as‑usual.
No independent replication by another research team is mentioned.
Academic outcomes were measured by custom questionnaires, not in all main subjects via standardised exams.
The study conducted only a six‑month follow‑up and did not track to graduation.
The study was registered after the trial began (ACTRN12613000660785), so it was not truly pre‑registered.
This study evaluated the effects of Group Triple P with Chinese parents on parenting and child outcomes as well as outcomes relating to child academic learning in Mainland China. Participants were 81 Chinese parents and their children in Shanghai, who...
The study randomizes intact sections (all students in a meeting) to flipped or lecture for each lesson, avoiding within‑session mixing and satisfying class‑level assignment.
The study used instructor‑designed course exams instead of standardized external assessments.
Learning outcomes were measured at end of semester, satisfying the term duration requirement.
The control (lecture) condition lacks detailed documentation of participant characteristics and baseline outcomes.
Randomization occurred within course sections rather than entire schools.
Authors who designed the intervention also implemented and analyzed the study.
Outcomes were measured only through one semester, not a full academic year.
Flipped lessons included mandatory pre‑class videos and in‑class exercises not equated by the control group.
An independent replication of the flipped classroom experiment by another research team has been published, satisfying this criterion.
Only econometrics outcomes were assessed, with no broad subject coverage.
The study did not track participants until graduation.
No evidence of pre-registration of study protocols.
Despite recent interest in flipped classrooms, rigorous research evaluating their effectiveness is sparse. In this study, the authors implement a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of a flipped classroom technique relative to a traditional lecture in an introductory...
The study randomized entire schools to treatment conditions, meeting the class-level RCT criterion.
The study used researcher-designed tests, not standardized exams, to measure financial proficiency.
The intervention consisted of four 50-minute lectures, much shorter than a full academic term.
The paper documents the control group's characteristics, size, and conditions in detail, including baseline scores in Table III.
The study randomized entire schools, fulfilling the requirement for a school-level RCT.
The authors conceptualized, designed the methodology, conducted the investigation, and wrote the paper; no independent team was involved.
The intervention involved four 50-minute sessions and a four-week follow-up, falling short of the required full academic year.
The control group did not receive the financial education program or any comparable substitute, creating an imbalance in educational time/resources.
There is no mention in the paper or readily available external evidence of an independent replication of this specific study.
The study only assessed financial proficiency (knowledge and behavior) and did not use standardized exams for other core subjects.
Follow-up was limited to approximately four weeks post-intervention; there was no tracking until graduation.
The study was registered in the AEA RCT Registry (AEARCTR- 0004431), but the registration occurred *after* the intervention and data collection were completed.
Using a computer-based learning environment, the present paper studied the effects of adaptive instruction and elaborated feedback on the learning outcomes of secondary school students in a financial education program. We randomly assigned schools to four conditions on a crossing...
Randomisation was conducted at the individual‑student level rather than at the class level, so the Class‑level RCT criterion is not satisfied.
The study used researcher‑designed custom tests rather than a standardized, widely recognized exam, so the Exam‑based Assessment criterion is not satisfied.
Outcomes were measured after a 4.5‑month intervention period, which covers at least one term, satisfying the Term Duration criterion.
The study provides detailed baseline characteristics and assessment outcomes for the control group, fulfilling the Documented Control Group criterion.
Randomisation was done at the individual‑student level, not at the school level, so the School‑level RCT criterion is not satisfied.
The same team that designed Mindspark also carried out the trial and analysis, so the Independent Conduct criterion is not satisfied.
Participants were followed for only 4.5 months rather than an academic year, so the Year Duration criterion is not satisfied.
The intervention’s extra instructional time is integral to the treatment, so the Balanced Resources criterion is satisfied.
No independent replication of the study is reported, so the Reproduced criterion is not satisfied.
Only mathematics and Hindi were assessed, so the All‑subject Exams criterion is not satisfied.
Participants were only followed until the endline test, with no graduation tracking, so the Graduation Tracking criterion is not satisfied.
The trial was registered only after data collection began, so the Pre‑registered Protocol criterion is not satisfied.
We study the impact of a personalized technology‑aided after‑school instruction program in middle‑school grades in urban India using a lottery that provided winners with free access to the program. Lottery winners scored 0.37σ higher in math and 0.23σ higher in...
Students were randomized at the individual level rather than by classroom, so cross-group contamination could occur.
The learning outcomes were measured using custom-built tests, not standardized exams.
Outcomes were measured immediately after two class meetings, not after a full academic term.
The control condition is clearly described with baseline group characteristics and identical materials.
Randomisation occurred at the student level, not at the school level.
The same research team designed and conducted the intervention, with no third-party evaluator.
The study spans two sessions with no year‑long follow‑up.
Time and materials were identical for both conditions, with only active engagement toggled.
The study has been independently replicated by a different research team.
Only physics learning was assessed, not all core subjects.
The study ended after the course, without tracking students to graduation, and no follow-up by the authors provided such data.
No pre-registration or protocol registry is mentioned.
We compared students’ self-reported perception of learning with their actual learning under controlled conditions in large-enrollment introductory college physics courses taught using active instruction and passive lecture. Both groups received identical content and handouts, and students were randomly assigned without...
Randomization was conducted at the class (tutorial) level, satisfying the class‑level RCT requirement.
The study used author‑designed pre/post tests rather than a standardized exam.
Outcome measures were collected within days, not after a full academic term.
The handout control group is well described with baseline tasks and scores.
Randomisation occurred at the tutorial‑class level, not at the school level.
The authors’ own team both developed and evaluated the intervention.
Follow‑up lasted only days, not a full academic year.
The AR intervention entailed multimedia app access not matched by the handout.
Independent teams reproduced similar AR‐enhanced learning gains in other contexts.
Only sewing/textiles skills were assessed, not all core subjects.
No follow‑up beyond the immediate post‑workshop period.
No evidence of pre‑registration is provided.
This study contributes to enhancing students’ learning experience and increasing their understanding of complex issues by incorporating an augmented reality (AR) mobile application (app) into a sewing workshop in which a threading task was carried out to facilitate better learning...
The study randomized individual students, not entire classes or schools.
Assessments used researcher-developed quizzes and checklists, not standardized exams.
The intervention period was 6 weeks, shorter than a full academic term.
The control group's demographics, baseline characteristics, and treatment (routine FC) are documented.
Randomization was at the student level within a single university, not at the school level.
The same authors appear to have designed the intervention, conducted the study, and analyzed the data, with no mention of independent conduct.
The study duration, including data collection, was 11 weeks, which is less than a full academic year. Also, Criterion Y was not met.
The intervention group received gamified activities (extra quizzes, points, badges) which constitute additional resources/ engagement time compared to the control group's routine FC, and this difference was not explicitly tested as the treatment variable nor balanced.
The paper does not mention any independent replication of this specific study by another research team.
The study measured only nursing skills competency and related factors, not performance across all core academic subjects. Also, Criterion E was not met.
The study tracked students for 11 weeks, not until graduation. Also, Criterion Y was not met.
The study was prospectively registered on ClinicalTrials.gov before the intervention likely started based on the semester timing.
Background: Flipped learning excessively boosts the conceptual understanding of students through the reversed arrangement of pre-learning and in classroom learning events and challenges students to independently achieve learning objectives. Using a gamification method in flipped classrooms can help students stay...
Individual‑level randomization within one class violates the class‑level RCT requirement.
Assessments were custom course quizzes and a final, not a standardized exam.
Outcomes were collected after only five weeks, not a full term.
Demographics and baseline performance for the control group are fully reported.
Randomization did not occur at the school level.
The same team designed, implemented, and evaluated the study.
Study duration was five weeks, not a full academic year.
Control and treatment groups received equivalent emails and incentives; no extra resources favored treatment.
No independent replication of this RCT is reported.
Outcomes are limited to a single STEM course, not all subjects.
No tracking beyond the short 5‑week course was conducted.
No evidence of prospective trial registration is provided.
Time‑management skills are an essential component of college student success, especially in online classes. Through a randomized control trial of students in a for‑credit online course at a public 4‑year university, we test the efficacy of a scheduling intervention aimed...
Random assignment occurred at the individual student level, not by entire class or school.
The study employed custom 22‑item free‑response tests rather than a standardized exam.
Outcomes were measured over a seven‑day period, not a full term.
The negative control group’s composition and baseline data are clearly documented.
Randomization was at the individual student level, not by school.
The intervention was designed, delivered, and assessed by the same team without independent oversight.
The study tracked outcomes over one week, not a full academic year.
The extra evening sessions are central to the intervention and thus the unmatched control is acceptable.
No independent replication of this RCT is reported.
Only stereochemistry outcomes were measured, and E was not met.
Tracking ended after one week; no graduation‑level follow‑up.
No pre‑registration of the study protocol is mentioned.
The use of the flipped classroom approach in higher education STEM courses has rapidly increased over the past decade, and it appears this type of learning environment will play an important role in improving student success and retention in undergraduate...
The paper does not describe any randomization at the class level.
No standardized exam-based assessment is implemented in the paper.
No term-long outcome measurement is reported in the paper.
Control group demographics and baseline data are not provided.
No school-level random assignment is executed as part of this paper.
The study was conducted by the intervention's own authors.
No outcomes tracked over a full academic year are provided.
Treatment classes had extra teacher time; controls did not.
No independent replication of the interventions is reported.
Outcomes measured only in targeted subjects, not across all.
No long-term tracking through graduation is provided.
The RCT was preregistered on OSF prior to data collection.
The effect of a reduced pupil–teacher ratio has mainly been investigated as that of reduced class size. Hence we know little about alternative methods of reducing the pupil–teacher ratio. Deploying additional teachers in selected subjects may be a more flexible...
The study is observational and did not randomize at the class level.
The study measures course grades rather than using standardized exams.
There is no intervention with outcomes measured after one academic term.
The paper does not document a distinct control group.
No school-level randomization was performed.
The study was conducted by the authors without an independent evaluator.
There is no intervention tracked for a full academic year.
No attempt to balance class time or resources.
The study's findings have been independently replicated by others.
The study does not use all-subject standardized exams.
No graduation tracking is performed.
No pre-registered protocol is referenced.
We model how class size affects the grade higher education students earn and we test the model using an ordinal logit with and without fixed effects on over 760,000 undergraduate observations from a northeastern public university. We find that class...
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